Bounty
by Jewels12
Summary: There was no meltdown in the park. Instead, they dined.
1. Holding Out For A Hero

_**A/N: This story takes place during the latter stages of Season Four. The Dragonfly Inn is in a state of progress, and money issues are still very present for the budding entrepreneurs. However, the entire dinner scene involving Gran and the Gilmores did not happen. In other words, there was no "haemorrhaging money" conversation. Also, the story hops around a bit, between the past and the present. All I ask is that you try to keep up – and enjoy the show!**_

_Huge thanks to **Filo**, my fantastic beta!_

The Dragonfly Inn was entering its final weeks of construction. Stress levels were at an all time high. There was still so much to do, and so little time to do it. It wasn't exactly a secret that the owners were running short on the green, either. Rumours to that effect began to spread the instant Tom's crew stopped keeping up appearances. This was crunch time. They needed help. They needed a hero.

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_**April 3, 2004…Dragonfly Inn**_

Lorelai burst into the kitchen, a worried expression on her face. "Sookie, I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure, sweetie. What is it?" Sookie asked, genuinely concerned.

"I have a bit of a problem."

"Oh? What about?"

"Well, I'm thinking about changing my lipstick shade to something more provocative. Does 'Streetwalker' make me sound cheap?"

"Um…" Sookie's mind began to wander someplace dark.

Lorelai snapped her fingers, regaining Sookie's attention. "Sook, it's about a man."

Sookie's ears perked up and her eyes sparkled as they usually did whenever a dose of gossip of the manly variety was promised.

Despite her friend's amused expression, Lorelai pressed on, "I…I've been having these feelings."

"Feelings?"

"Yeah, feelings."

"Okay." Sookie nodded, encouraging Lorelai to elaborate.

"I mean, not that there weren't feelings before, but now they're more, I don't know, intense."

"Your feelings have intensified," Sookie regurgitated. "Is that what's troubling you?"

"No, not exactly." Lorelai sighed. "It's not the feelings themselves, Sookie…it's the person that I'm having these feelings for."

Sookie couldn't even pretend to follow along.

Noticing her friend's cloudy expression, Lorelai decided to just spit it out. "It's Luke," she said.

Sookie stared blankly ahead for a few seconds. Suddenly her eyebrows hit the ceiling. "Oh my god! Luke!" she squealed.

Lorelai smirked. "My sentiments exactly."

"When did this happen? How did this happen? Does he know?" Before Lorelai had a chance to respond to the flurry of questions, the chef was hit by a wave of reality, her voice becoming soft, yet concerned. "But, Lorelai..."

"I know," Lorelai cut in.

"He's married," Sookie continued.

Lorelai's shoulders slumped over and her head dipped to her chest as guilt took shape. "That's the problem."

------------

_**March 17, 2004…Dragonfly Inn **_

"So, did you talk to Luke?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, I invited him to dinner at Silvano's."

"And you're going to ask him about…"

"Yes, Sookie, I'm going to ask him about the money. I might as well kiss all my pride good-bye right now."

"Aw, honey. It won't be so bad. You know he'd do anything for you."

Lorelai frowned. "That's what's so bad about it. He'll feel obligated. I don't want him to feel obligated." She paused in thought. "Is this really our last resort?"

Sookie wrapped her friend in a soothing hug. "If we want this inn to open…then yes, this is our last resort."

Lorelai huffed. "All right, fine. Wish me luck."

Sookie stepped back and grinned. "Just wear something tight."

Lorelai shook her head and walked towards the foyer. She took a deep breath. This was going to be a long night.

------------

That evening, Lorelai made a quick pit-stop at Doose's to grab a bag of marshmallows for the short ride to Silvano's. She always found that eating helped to appease her nerves.

When she exited the building, she noticed Luke heading to his truck, dressed very smartly in a tailored shirt, black trousers and his leather jacket. She loved a man that could pull off leather. Luke certainly fell into that category.

Her heels clicked against the pavement as she walked towards her dining companion. "Hey," she said.

Luke glanced up, startled to see Lorelai. "Hey. I thought we were meeting at the restaurant."

"Well, I just happened to be in the neighbourhood." Lorelai smiled.

Luke looked down at her hand. "What's in the bag?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing special."

"Oh yeah? Let's see," he said, reaching for the bag.

Lorelai grinned. "Luke, I had no idea you were so interested in feminine products."

His face turned a crimson red and he stepped back about six feet from both the bag and its owner.

Lorelai laughed. "Relax! It's not a pipe bomb."

Luke grunted, abruptly changing the subject, "So, we might as well ride together. You wanna take my truck?"

"Um, yeah. Sure. That would be great."

Luke walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her; a true gentleman. Lorelai smiled in appreciation. She watched as he once more rounded the truck and sat behind the wheel. She had to admit that he looked good. He noticed her eyes on him and gave her a questioning look.

"I don't mean to stare, I'm just not used to seeing you without your trusty sidekicks, Mr. Hat and Mr. Flannel," she admitted.

Luke chuckled.

"I hope you aren't suffering," she added.

"Huh?"

"From the separation anxiety," she explained. "I'm here if you need to talk about it."

Luke rolled his eyes and started the engine, pulling the truck into gear. This was going to be a long night.

------------

Three minutes into the ride, Lorelai was already tearing into the marshmallows.

Luke shook his head. "Feminine products, huh?"

Lorelai grinned. "Tricked ya."

"What are you doing eating, anyway?" he wondered. "We're going out for dinner."

She looked at him blankly.

"Right, I know. Stupid question."

------------

Pulling up to the restaurant, Luke let out a sigh of relief. Another marshmallow in the face and he would have turned the truck around.

"We're here!" Lorelai cheered.

"Thank God for that," Luke muttered.

She nudged him in the arm. "I heard that."

Luke parked the truck. He helped Lorelai out of her seat and they walked side by side to the entrance of the restaurant.

Their table was in an intimate corner of the restaurant. Candlelight provided the ambience. It also sent Luke into a full-blown rant about the lack of sufficient illumination and his inability to see the prices of the menu items.

Soon they were eating and chatting very amicably. There was no weirdness. Lorelai was so sure that there would at least be sporadic moments of weirdness. But she hadn't yet brought up the subject of money. That was the next topic of discussion. She ordered cheesecake for the occasion.

"So…Luke," she began. "I guess now's as good a time as any to talk business."

He nodded, leaning forward on his hands, giving her his undivided attention.

"Well, as you know, the Dragonfly has been under construction for quite a few months, and we're quickly approaching our opening deadline." She paused and took an anxious breath. "Opening an inn is a tricky thing. There are so many hidden expenses…and construction delays…It's, uh…"

"Tricky," Luke supplied, smirking.

"Yes," she agreed. "And terribly costly." She started fidgeting with her hands, her nerves getting the better of her. "I can't do this," she barely uttered, a look of panic on her face.

"Do what?" he asked, concerned.

She took another heavy breath. It was now or never. "Okay. I'm only asking you this because my back is against the wall…and I have no one else to turn to for help…Well, excluding my parents, but you know what my relationship with them is like, and this would just be another thing that they could hold over my head. And the inn is set to open in a few weeks and we're running out of time, and I…"

"Lorelai," he graciously interrupted. "Just ask me." His voice was very calm and reassuring.

She immediately relaxed. "I wondered if I could borrow some money."

Luke didn't appear to be phased by the statement. "How much money do you need?"

She bit her lip. "About thirty-thousand dollars." She searched his eyes for any sign of hesitation. But there was none.

"Okay…um, thirty-thousand dollars. I think I can swing that."

Lorelai stared at Luke, open mouthed, for longer than was necessary. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was music to her ears. Altruistic music to her ears. Sookie was right. This man would do anything for her. "Are…are you sure, Luke?" she finally managed to say. "I want you to be one hundred percent sure before you agree to this."

"I'm sure," he said with complete sincerity.

She breathed a sigh of relief; of gratitude. "Okay." Lorelai beamed, thrilled. She was quiet for a moment, just taking it all in. And then practicality set in. "So, um, we'll need to work out a payment plan. I intend to pay back every cent, with interest."

Luke smiled. "You can pay me back, but there won't be any interest. That's a deal breaker," he insisted.

She shook her head, still in utter disbelief that this was really happening. The cheesecake had arrived at the table minutes earlier, but she was blind to it, her mind reeling with joy and utter amazement at the man sitting across from her.

She had found her hero.

"I don't even know what to say to you, Luke. I can't even begin to thank you." There were tears in her eyes.

He instinctively touched her hand. "Lorelai, seeing you finally realizing your dream, is thanks enough for me. I know how important this is for you. There are so few people in this world that would ever even attempt to accomplish something so big. You're an inspiration." His eyes sparkled with admiration; his smile was open, sincere, and confident.

He'd never looked more attractive to her.

If his intention was to abate her tears with his speech, he failed miserably. The tears started flowing with no sign of stopping. She laughed at herself, blubbering like an idiot. But she was so happy, she didn't know what else to do.

He rubbed her hand gently.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I know you hate crying."

He chuckled. "Tears of joy, I can handle." He was absently massaging her individual fingers now. "I meant every word I said," he added.

Her nerve endings sparked in response to his words, his touch. Suddenly she forgot about crying, and money. She watched his fingers dance around her own. The warmth she felt inside was something that both frightened and impassioned her.

Luke stopped his ministrations briefly to take a drink. Lorelai instantly missed the contact. This was bad. She needed to get out of there.

"Um…so, you ready to go?" she asked Luke.

He gestured to her uneaten cheesecake. "But you haven't even taken a bite of your…"

"I'll just have it wrapped up," she interrupted.

Luke gave her a puzzled look. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, much better than okay. Things are great…fantastic, even." She grinned.

"Okay," Luke said, not entirely convinced. "Sure, we can go if you'd like."

Lorelai nodded. "Just so we're clear, dinner's on me," she said firmly.

"I won't even put up a fight." Luke smiled.

"Good man."

TBC…


	2. Happy Days Are Here Again

_**A/N: If you've noticed that Rory is absent from this story, good for you. Because she is. And she's going to stay that way. Ah, the power. Also, Michel's once upon a time job at the Tally Rand hotel where he wore that snobby headset and saw Celine Dion walk in…does not exist in this story. Thanks for the wonderful reviews, all! **_

_Shout out to **Filo**, my stellar beta!_

**_Now then, on with the show..._**

They enjoyed the ride home, accompanied by short spurts of chatter and comfortable silence. For most of the trip, Lorelai's mind rehashed the events from dinner. She still couldn't believe how easily Luke parted with his money to save her from financial distress. Her stomach lurched, recalling the way his hand felt against her own. She blushed at the memory.

"What are you thinking about?" Luke asked. They had just pulled off the highway and were nearing Stars Hollow.

Lorelai smiled. "I'm thinking…that I should have grabbed a fork for my cheesecake."

Luke looked at the box sitting on her lap and chuckled. "You gonna let that stop you?"

Her eyebrows rose in amusement.

Luke continued, "You don't seem like the type that minds getting her hands dirty."

Lorelai let out a full blown snort. "Speaking of _dirty…_" She glanced pointedly at Luke.

Luke blushed. "I…I just meant…whatever," he grunted. "Eat your damn cake."

Lorelai laughed. She opened the box and took a whiff of the heavenly dessert. "You want some?" She playfully nudged Luke.

He gave her a stern look.

She lifted the cake out and took a huge bite, chewing with her eyes closed. "God, this is _so good_." She moaned in pleasure.

Luke nearly lost control of the vehicle.

"You sure you don't want any?" she asked again, her eyes open and focused on Luke. "It's to die for."

Luke shook his head. "I'd rather die of natural causes, thanks."

Lorelai smirked.

When they entered Stars Hollow, Luke carried on towards the Gilmore residence, forgetting that Lorelai's jeep was parked in town. Lorelai was far too distracted by her cheesecake to notice the scenery.

At the sight of an empty driveway, the truth became known.

"Ah crap!" Lorelai griped. "I forgot about my jeep."

"We can swing around and pick it up. No big deal," Luke reasoned.

Lorelai hesitated. "Uh, no, that's fine. I'll just pick it up in the morning."

"I don't mind, Lorelai. It'll only take a second. Might as well do it now."

She shrugged. "You're the boss."

Minutes later they were parked next to Lorelai's jeep. Luke helped her once more from the truck and they walked together to her vehicle.

Lorelai took a deep breath, turning to face Luke. "Thank you so much…for everything." She smiled warmly.

Luke nodded, putting his hand on her arm affectionately. "Thanks for dinner."

She chuckled. "You've got about a thousand more of those coming to you."

He squeezed her arm, giving her goose bumps. "I might take you up on that," he teased.

Lorelai opened her car door. "Well, goodnight." She grinned, sliding into her seat.

Luke leaned against the doorframe. "Are you working tomorrow?" he asked.

"All day. Got an inn to open." She winked.

"Maybe I'll swing by," he said.

"Okay." The prospect of a visit from Luke was suddenly enough to give her butterflies. "I'll see ya then," she finished, as casually as possible.

"Good night, Lorelai." He smiled, closing the door.

------------

Lorelai slept better that night than she had in weeks. The stress and uncertainty that once plagued her dreams seemed to be a distant memory. And it was all thanks to the kindness and generosity of one diner owner.

When she entered the inn the following morning, she was filled with vigour, anxious to share the wonderful news with her business partners. She burst through the kitchen door, a huge smile on her face.

Sookie took in Lorelai's appearance. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "You did it! We're saved!" she shouted, running to her friend and wrapping her in a hug.

Lorelai laughed, eagerly returning Sookie's affection.

The chef finally withdrew and said, "Man, you must have really smooth talked him."

She shrugged. "Not really. I was a blubbering idiot. He just did it because he's...Luke."

"And because you're Lorelai," Sookie replied knowingly.

Lorelai flushed. "I don't know about that. He was just…I mean…the things he said to me were…" She paused, struggling to find the right words. "He may have loaned us thirty-thousand dollars, but he made me feel like a million bucks."

Sookie put her hand over her heart, releasing an audible sigh.

"He said that he was going to try to swing by sometime today. Promise you won't be too gushy?"

"I promise." Sookie looked up at Lorelai and noticed the glimmer in her eyes. "He really is quite the guy, isn't he?"

Lorelai smiled, rolling her eyes. "No gushing," she said sternly.

------------

It was mid-afternoon and Lorelai and Sookie were discussing china patterns and linens. Now that they had a little cushioning, they could finally order the much needed supplies. Michel had excused himself about an hour earlier to attend his appointment with Fernando, the top manicurist in the state. The concierge had been surprisingly chipper all morning, and Lorelai mistakenly chalked it up to the tremendous gift that Luke had given them. Then Fernando's name was dropped and the mystery was solved.

"I so wanted to break into _ABBA_ when Michel was talking about Fernando," Lorelai mused.

Sookie giggled. "Every hour, every minute, seemed to last eternity…" she sing-songed.

Lorelai laughed. "Very clever usage of lyrics, my friend," she complimented.

"Thanks," Sookie giggled more. "Jackson and I used to listen to _ABBA_ all the time when we were first dating. He thought it was 'very romantic music,' and he'd use it to 'set the mood,'" she spoke in her best Jackson voice, using air quotes for dramatic effect.

"Wow," Lorelai chuckled. "'Cause when I think romance, I think Waterloo."

"I know, right? That was one of his favourites," Sookie winced, recalling the memory.

The two women doubled over in a fit of giggles, only stopping when they heard heavy footsteps entering the inn.

"Oh, that must be Luke," Lorelai realized. She quickly straightened her blouse, tucked her hair behind her ears, and began walking towards the foyer.

Sookie smiled to herself, allowing Lorelai some time alone with Luke. She returned her attention to the catalogues spread out on one of the dining room tables.

Lorelai rounded the corner and smiled. Luke was busy admiring Tom's handiwork, unaware of her presence.

"Solid?" she asked, causing Luke to jump in surprise.

He turned from the staircase, a light blush rising in his cheeks. "Yeah, it's definitely solid. He does nice work."

She grinned. "Yep, he's a keeper."

Luke wiped his hands on his jeans and walked closer to Lorelai. "Where _is_ Tom?" he wondered.

Lorelai frowned. "You guys have a date or something?"

Luke groaned. "No, we don't have a date. I just thought he'd be here, you know…working," he emphasized the last word.

"He's here," Lorelai said. "Tom and the boys are working outside today."

"Oh…I didn't see--"

"They're out back," Lorelai clarified. "You wanna go say hi? Give 'em a squeeze?"

Luke shook his head, unable to hide his grin. "Look, the real reason I'm here…" he paused as he reached into his pocket and removed an envelope. "…is to give you this," he finished, placing the envelope in her hands.

She stared at it for a long moment, finally running her finger beneath its seal. She turned the envelope upside down and out slid a thin piece of paper. A cheque…for thirty-thousand dollars. Lorelai swallowed hard, the reality of the situation hitting her with full force. The transaction was official.

"Luke…I, uh…thank you." She looked deep into his eyes.

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Before she could stop herself, Lorelai stepped forward and hugged Luke. It was brief, but it was more physical contact than she'd had with him in years. The weight of his strong arms wrapped around her body made her feel safe and protected. When they withdrew from one another, she was tempted to repeat the action, just to revel in the sensation a little longer.

Lorelai lifted her gaze to meet his once more. "Thank you," she said again, a goofy grin on her face. Luke could tell that she was embarrassed.

"I think you said that already," he returned, trying to lighten the mood.

"I just wanted to make it very clear."

"Try a billboard," he teased.

She laughed. Then suddenly, her expression turned serious. "Hey, Luke…what about Nicole? Where does she stand in all of this? If this is joint money then--"

"Don't worry about Nicole," Luke interrupted, his body visibly tense.

"I know, but--"

"This has nothing to do with her," Luke continued severely.

Lorelai surrendered. "Okay, okay. I won't do matching 'his and hers' billboards then."

Luke smirked, his demeanour instantly improving.

"So…would you like the grand tour?" Lorelai offered.

"Lead the way," he happily replied.

TBC…


	3. If Luke Was A Cake, We'd All Be Fat!

**_Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Special thanks to Filo, my rockin' beta! Let's get this party started..._**

****

The final stop on Luke's tour of the inn was the kitchen, where a beaming Sookie nearly toppled him over when she enveloped him in a big bear hug.

Luke chuckled at first, although he was a tad relieved when Sookie finally released him from her vice grip.

"Look who's mister popular today," Lorelai teased him.

"Well, he should be," Sookie said. "He's our hero."

Luke shrugged, blushing. "Let's not make a big deal about this, okay?"

Sookie giggled uncomfortably, turning her attention to the item she had hidden beneath a covered dish. "No, we won't make a big deal about it. No. Big. Deal."

Luke and Lorelai exchanged a confused look.

"Whatcha got there, Sook?" Lorelai asked.

She sighed, removing the cover to reveal…a cake. It was decorated in incredible detail with items and images that represented Luke. The word 'Hero' was in bold lettering across the top.

Luke scratched his head. "This is you not making a big deal?" He raised his eyebrows in question, although he was smiling.

"Sookie…this is amazing," Lorelai marvelled, as she examined the cake more closely. "Look at this," she nudged Luke. "She's got your blue hat, a flannel shirt, the diner sign, a burger and fries…Bert!" she finished excitedly.

Luke shook his head. "You didn't have to do this Sookie," he said. "But it's a very nice gesture. Thank you."

Sookie giggled, grabbing Luke and squeezing him for the second time.

Lorelai couldn't help but laugh. "I so have dibs on Bert," she informed her audience, greedily eyeing the corner piece.

Luke did the honours of cutting the cake and obediently gave Lorelai her desired portion, shaking his head in disgust. Sookie and Luke took much more modest pieces.

They were all leaning forward on opposite sides of the counter, savouring every bite. It was the most incredible cake that any of them had ever tasted.

Lorelai laughed, watching Luke. "Luke's eating Luke cake."

He playfully rolled his eyes and continued eating.

"Luke cake," Sookie repeated, giggling. "Cake Luke," she reversed the words, again to her amusement, the sugar clearly getting to her.

Luke and Lorelai chuckled at the scene.

A few minutes later, the eating had concluded, the dishes had been cleared and with Luke's insistence, Sookie boxed up the remaining pieces of cake, half going to the Gilmore household, the other half to the Melville family. Luke was certain that the Gilmore share wouldn't even make it out of the car.

Lorelai walked Luke to the door, thanking him once more for the cheque. "You're welcome to come by here anytime you'd like, Luke. You know, um, to check on the progress of things. After all, you're an investor."

Luke nodded, grinning. "Maybe I'll do that."

Lorelai grinned back. "Good."

"Good."

They were both lingering in the doorway, grinning like idiots, until a holier than thou voice snapped them out of their revelry. Michel had returned, and he was loudly admiring his freshly manicured nails as he climbed the porch steps. He barely acknowledged Luke and gave a slight nod in Lorelai's direction, as he crossed the threshold, undoubtedly on his way to lecture Sookie about the smell of cake batter that engulfed the inn.

"You might want to make sure he's behind locked doors the next time I come by," Luke warned Lorelai.

"It would be doing both of us a favour." Lorelai laughed, secretly pleased that Luke was planning another visit.

"See ya later," he said, giving Lorelai's arm a quick squeeze. He descended the stairs and headed for his truck.

"See ya." She smiled, holding the spot on her arm, still warm from Luke's touch. As soon as his truck pulled out of the driveway, Lorelai returned inside.

She could hear Sookie and Michel arguing, and the unmistakable sound of kitchen utensils flying. She hurried towards the kitchen to prevent a major disaster. As she was about to step into the war zone, a terrifying silence filled the air. She swallowed nervously and marched through the door, just in time to stop Michel from…eating cake. He was eating cake.

"You're eating cake?!" Lorelai said in absolute shock.

Michel frowned, icing coating the corners of his mouth.

Sookie giggled. "He was in mid-tirade, and suddenly he just picked up a piece of cake, right out of the box. I was sure he was going to throw it at me."

"I hope that's _your_ share of the cake," Lorelai said seriously.

Sookie rolled her eyes.

"Is it good, Michel?" Lorelai asked with a teasing glint in her eyes.

He glared at her. "It tastes like I just wasted my morning Pilates session with Pierre."

Lorelai laughed. "Sorry, I can't take you seriously when you have icing on your face."

Michel swallowed his last bite, a look of pure disdain on his face. "You disgust me." He stormed out of the kitchen and immediately began jogging on the spot.

Lorelai and Sookie laughed.

A moment later, Lorelai's cell phone rang. "Oh, I better take this," she told Sookie. She flipped open the phone. "Hey," she said. "You're back from China? How was the flight? Yeah, I bet he did," Lorelai laughed.

Sookie busied herself with kitchen duties, while surreptitiously listening to Lorelai's side of the conversation.

"That has so much mocking potential. Oh, you know I will. Okay, yeah. Sounds good. I'll see you tonight." Lorelai smiled, snapping her phone shut. She turned to Sookie. "Don't give me that look," she said.

"What look?" Sookie asked innocently.

Lorelai shook her head, dropping the subject. "God, I'm tired." She yawned.

Sookie sighed, leaning against the sink. "Me too. Davey kept me up most of the night."

Lorelai frowned, thinking. "Listen, I can hold down things here. Why don't you head home and get some rest, spend some time with the little guy. You've been putting in a lot of hours, and I don't want your kid to grow up resenting me because I held his mother hostage.

"I don't want to leave you high and dry. We're so close to opening," Sookie reasoned.

"I've got Michel, and Tom's crew is sticking around, thanks to Luke. I don't mind putting in some extra hours. You need to be with Jackson and Davey."

Sookie nodded appreciatively. "I'll make it up to you," she assured Lorelai.

"You can pay me in cake." Lorelai grinned.

She chuckled. "When should I come back to work?"

Lorelai thought for a moment. "How's Monday?"

"But…but that's _three days_. I can't take three days off," Sookie argued.

"Yes, you can. If we need any help, I'll call." She grabbed Sookie by the shoulders and escorted her out of the kitchen and into the foyer, helping her slide into her jacket.

"Promise you'll call," Sookie pressed, as she stood in the entryway.

"I promise," Lorelai said. "Now you better get out of here before Michel comes down from that sugar high."

Sookie giggled and obediently scurried off.

------------

Three hours later, the work day was finally wrapping up at the inn. Michel had left minutes after Sookie, complaining of an upset stomach. Tom and the crew left around 6:30 PM, staying late to ensure that the outside work was complete before the forecasted rain made an appearance. Lorelai finally left the inn at 7:00 PM, her back and her feet aching from the strain of the day.

She stopped at home briefly to freshen up, then she was off again.

When she arrived at his place, it was a little after 8:00 PM. She was pretty near exhausted, but pleased nonetheless to see him. She knocked on the door with one hand, while fluffing her hair with the other.

He answered the door quickly, wearing his pyjamas and a tie overtop. He held a bottle of champagne in his right hand, and a rose in his mouth.

Lorelai chuckled. "Welcome home, Jason," she said.

Jason handed the rose to Lorelai, kissing her briefly, and inviting her inside. "Man, am I glad to see you," he mused.

Lorelai smiled. "Why's that?" she asked from her position on the couch.

Jason poured them both a glass of champagne and sat on the cushion next to her, handing her a drink. "I've been stuck in board rooms, on trains and in planes for two weeks, with very unattractive Chinese men. Trust me, _you_…are lookin' good." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment."

"Yeah, you're right. I would probably find Sandra Bernhard eye-catching at this point." He smirked.

Lorelai playfully smacked him.

He leaned back into the cushions. "God, I'm exhausted."

"Aw, hon. I'm sorry my dad is making you do all the running around, but I guess that was his primary reason for partnering with you. He isn't up to as much travelling these days."

Jason nodded, sitting up a little. "But things are going well. Your father and I actually have some big news."

"You're pregnant?"

He concealed a smile. "We're acquiring another company."

"Look at you all business-sharky," she said, impressed.

"It's a dog-eat-dog world."

"Ain't it the truth."

He nodded. "So, how are things with you?"

"Things are kinda crazy right now. I'm putting in some ridiculous hours at the inn. But we're set to open as scheduled."

"So things are still in motion?" he asked, as though he was surprised.

"Yes, thanks to Luk--" she hesitated.

"Luke? The diner owner, right?"

Lorelai swallowed. "Yeah. He loaned us some money to help with construction costs."

Jason was quiet for a minute. "You asked Luke for money?"

She nodded.

Again he was quiet, thinking. "Well, why didn't you ask me?"

TBC…


	4. Nuts And Bolts

_As you may or may not have realized, I'm not following the exact timeline of events that took place during the show. But that's what makes it all so exciting, right?! Thanks again for the wonderful feedback, folks! And thanks to __**Filo**__ for her awesome beta skills. Now, let's take a leap into the land of Stars Hollow. I hear it's lovely there this time of year…_

Lorelai was silent for a long moment, contemplating an appropriate answer to Jason's question. Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure why she hadn't consulted Jason over her money woes.

"I don't know," she finally said.

"Okay."

She looked at him, surprised. "Really? You're okay with that answer?"

He took a swig of champagne. "I am if you are," he responded casually.

Lorelai sighed. "I don't know why I didn't ask you, Jason. I guess I just didn't want to have something like that hanging over us, you know?"

"Why not? What's another dark cloud in the sky?" he said sarcastically.

"Dark cloud?"

"Have you told your parents about us yet?"

"Well…no, but I--"

"Dark cloud."

"Jason," she pleaded.

"It's okay, Lorelai. I have an umbrella. It's a really nice one, actually."

"Um…"

Jason stood up from his seat, and moved to the kitchen to refill his glass. "I gotta tell ya," he began, "Borrowing money from a friend...not a wise business move."

"Excuse me?" Lorelai sat up straighter.

"Norm and Harold, best friends since elementary school. Harold loans Norm fifty grand for a new business venture. Norm is through the moon, goes nuts, buys all the supplies to get started. Cheque bounces, Harold lands in the big house. Business goes bust." Lorelai rolled her eyes at the anecdote. Jason continued, "Clyde and John Baxter. Brothers, real close, weird close. Anyway, Clyde asks his brother to fund a research project. Johnny boy jumps on board, attends the meetings, get's the inside scoop. _Steals_ the idea and books the next flight to New Guinea." Lorelai shook her head. "I'm just giving you my psychological analysis of the 'friend loan,'" Jason explained.

"Gee, thanks, Freud. But Luke and I have a very solid friendship. I don't foresee any encounters with the law, or spontaneous trips to island nations in our future."

"He was a coke head."

"Huh?"

"Freud. He did the heavy stuff. Happy powder, wacky dust, Aunt Nora, Mama Coca..."

Lorelai smirked. "I get the picture."

Jason returned to the couch and sat the near the edge of the cushion. He set his glass down and clasped his hands together. "I still don't see why you couldn't have at least talked to me about your financial situation beforehand. It just seems like something two adults in an adult relationship would discuss…"

"I just didn't want us to have to think about it," she reasoned, chuckling softly. "See how well _that_ worked?"

Jason shook his head. "I know you, Lorelai. You and I are more alike than you realize. I think you deliberately kept me in the dark because you didn't want to create any loose ends before you cut your losses."

"What are you--"

"You don't take this relationship seriously, do you?"

"Jason, it's not like that at all." She sighed, her eyes moving to the corner of the room.

"I would have loaned you the money, happily. I'm good for it."

"I know you're good for it. Believe me, I do."

"Then why didn't you ask me?" he pressed.

Lorelai groaned, frustrated by the circular motion of their conversation. "God, Digger! You should be happy! I don't owe _you_ any money, you don't owe _me_ any money. We're in a debt-free relationship!" Her eyes focused on the corner again, her brow wrinkled with concern. "Are you sure he's breathing?"

"Cyrus, a little to the left," he commanded. The dog obediently adjusted his position. "Yep, he's still kicking," Jason concluded.

"He's like a statue."

"The monks of New Skete were very thorough in their training."

Lorelai nodded in agreement. They were both quiet for a moment.

Jason spoke gently, breaking the silence. "I'm committed to you, Lorelai. I'm committed to us. I _am_ happy. I don't have that panicked feeling in my gut that I usually get at this stage of a relationship. I'm not bolting."

She smiled and said the first thing that came to her mind, "I'm not bolting, either."

"Good." Jason smiled, moving closer to her on the couch.

Together they relaxed deeper into the cushions. A peaceful silence took over the room.

"Was it the talking key?" Jason asked suddenly. "Is that why you didn't approach me about the money?"

"Gah!" Lorelai shouted, irritated. "No, it wasn't the talking key!"

"Okay, okay." He relinquished, satisfied with her answer. "Umlauts," he added with a smirk.

She glared at him.

"Just getting you back for the Digger comment."

------------

_**April 3, 2004 Continued…**_

"_When did this happen? How did this happen? Does he know?" Before Lorelai had a chance to respond to the flurry of questions, the chef was hit by a wave of reality, her voice becoming soft, yet concerned. "But, Lorelai..."_

"_I know," Lorelai cut in._

"_He's married," Sookie continued. _

_Lorelai's shoulders slumped over and her head dipped to her chest as guilt took shape. "That's the problem." _

Sookie frowned, desperately searching for something constructive to say. "Lorelai, is this about the money that he loaned us?"

Lorelai looked up, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Because it's natural to feel sentimental over something like that," Sookie continued.

"No, Sookie, it's not about the money…it's not _just_ about the money. I mean, yes, I started to realize how incredible and selfless a person he truly is around the time that he gave us thirty-thousand dollars. But that was the kind of kick in the ass I needed." She paused, taking a breath. "When we went out for dinner and he looked deep into my eyes and told me that I was an inspiration? How could I not melt? And it's all spiralled from there," Lorelai revealed.

"Wait…did you say that you had feelings _before_?" Sookie was finally catching up.

"Sorry?"

"Earlier in the conversation, you said your feelings have intensified…indicating that you had existing feelings."

"I had…curiosities."

"Lorelai! How could you not tell me? How could you not tell _Luke_?"

"I don't know! I guess I thought that I was being crazy. And we have this great friendship. I was afraid of losing that. I was afraid of rejection."

Sookie gave her a questioning look.

"Okay, so he probably wouldn't have rejected me."

"He would have welcomed you with open arms."

"Well, he could have made a move, too. Nothing was stopping him."

Sookie shook her head. "You crazy kids."

Lorelai sighed. "What am I gonna do, Sook?"

She responded immediately, "You're going to wait."

"Wait?"

Sookie nodded. "He waited for _you_, Lorelai. He waited years. If this is right, and Lord knows it is, then he'll come to his senses. But for now…you wait."

"I wait."

Sookie nodded.

"Could you make me some coffee while I wait?"

She giggled. "Anything you want."

------------

_**March 20, 2004…Dragonfly Inn**_

Lorelai had spent half the morning signing her name on incoming shipments and outgoing order forms. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was no longer 'just a term.' Her right arm was about ready to fall off. When the sounds of her grumbling stomach became too distracting, she allowed herself a brief recess. And even then, she was shuffling through receipts with one hand, while taking intermittent bites of a less than appealing ham sandwich with her other hand.

Tom and the boys were working upstairs. The sounds of their busy hammers and drills pierced through the air, providing a wonderful migraine-inducing atmosphere. Michel had disappeared when the new stationary arrived. Lorelai was starting to regret her bright idea of granting Sookie a three-day weekend.

"I officially hate Saturday!" Lorelai shouted over the competing noise.

"That's against your religion." She heard a man's voice respond from the entrance.

She looked up and smiled at her visitor. "Hey," she said, blushing slightly.

Luke walked towards Lorelai, dropping a paper bag on the desk in front of her. She was grinning from ear to ear as she revealed the contents of the bag: a burger, fries and a milkshake from the diner. "Still hate Saturday?" he asked a moment later.

Instead of responding, she took a mammoth bite of her burger, desperate for the sustenance of _real food_. "Saturday has been redeemed," she eventually forced through her full mouth.

He chuckled. "I figured you could use a little energy boost."

"You are a lifesaver," she told him. "In so many ways," she added, sincerely.

"I like to help the people," he returned. "Especially the crazy ones. They need extra attention," he teased.

She grinned. "Remind me to build you a shrine." She took one last bite of her burger and dusted the crumbs off her hands. "So, shall we take a stroll outside? We can inspect the work that's been done on the exterior of the place," she suggested.

Luke nodded. "Sounds good."

"I told Tom how impressed you were with the banister," she said, winking as they walked out the door.

Luke rolled his eyes.

"He really values your opinion. Don't be surprised if he offers you a spot on the team," she continued to poke, as their voices faded in the distance.

TBC…


	5. Throwing In The Towel

_Hey, folks! Thanks for the fantastic feedback! Today happens to be my birthday, and I'd just like you all to know that I decided to reward all of us by posting a chapter on this, the most significant of days. ;) Enjoy!_

_Also, big thanks to **Filo**, the coolest beta in town!_

Lorelai and Luke circled around the property, favourably commenting on the renovations, and paying particular attention to the stables. Luke smiled as he watched Lorelai gesture animatedly in her new favourite space.

"I think Cletus and Desdemona are going to be very happy here," Lorelai mused.

"I'm sure," Luke agreed. "So, when are the horses arriving?"

She smiled. "Five weeks from today."

"I'm sure you have it timed to the exact minute," he mocked.

"No," Lorelai corrected, "the exact second."

He chuckled.

"You should come," she started to say.

"Hmm?" he said.

"We can be the first to break them in."

Luke frowned. "Break what in?"

She rolled her eyes. "The horses."

He raised his eyebrows. "You want me to ride with you?"

Lorelai giggled. "As dirty as that sounds…yes."

"No," he answered quickly.

"Luke," she pouted.

"Never gonna happen."

"C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"Like having a root canal."

She glared at him. "I can't believe you're turning down this once in a lifetime opportunity."

"In grade four I let Billy Mumphry have the first spin on the tire swing at recess. I survived _that_. I'll survive _this_."

Lorelai smirked. "You have a little thing for Billy?"

Luke groaned.

"Listen, why don't you take some time and think about my proposition before you make such a rash decision."

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Why are you making such a big deal about this?"

"I just want you to feel included," she told him honestly. "The horses wouldn't even be possible without your…gift."

He nodded, smiling. "Well, I appreciate the offer, but I'd much prefer to watch from the sidelines."

"So, you'll at least come, then?" she asked, hopeful.

He shook his head and said, "Maybe."

She grinned.

The pitter-patter of raindrops temporarily stole their attention. They moved together to the entrance of the stables, just as the sky darkened completely and the rain increased in its intensity.

"Looks like the weather man was right," Luke remarked.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. She looked outside, then back at Luke, a playful expression on her face. "Should we make a run for it?"

He smiled at the thought.

Without waiting for an answer, she clutched his arm and pulled him in a sprint towards the inn. Halfway to their target, Lorelai came to an abrupt halt, nearly knocking them both off balance. They were already soaked to the skin.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"There's no sense in running. We're as wet as we can get," she replied, noting their sodden clothing.

He smirked.

She shook her head, smiling. "I know, I know. Mega dirty."

The rain was teaming down now, muffling their voices.

"So what's the plan of action here?" Luke asked. "Are we going to head inside, or wait for the lightning to strike us down?"

She chuckled, looking towards the sky as the rain cascaded down her face. "Doesn't this make you feel like a kid again?"

He watched her eyes, shining with youthful spirit as she paraded around in the rain. "It makes me think of all my cancelled ballgames," he replied in his practiced unaffected tone.

"C'mon," she said grabbing him by the sleeve. "Let's head inside."

They walked the remaining distance, stopping at the top of the porch steps to shake off the excess moisture from their clothing.

"God, I'm soaked," Lorelai said, wrapping her arms around herself.

Luke touched her arm. "You're freezing," he said. "You were crazy to come outside without your jacket."

His hand still rested on her arm. "_Now_ you tell me," she countered sarcastically, her voice edged with nerves. She turned awkwardly from Luke and stepped inside the front door, needing a moment to gather herself.

Luke followed close behind, pausing with her in the foyer. The crew upstairs were making even more noise than before, pushing their power tools into high gear.

"I don't want to track water all over the place," Lorelai said loudly.

Luke nodded. "No, neither do I."

"Well, isn't this a predicament," she commented.

"So we're stuck here?"

"Not necessarily." She looked him up and down, a wayward grin spreading on her face.

"Whatever you're thinking, _don't_," Luke said sternly.

She giggled. "So you don't think we should take all our clothes off and air dry?"

He shook his head, blushing.

"You don't want to give the boys upstairs a peep show?" she continued to press. "I bet Tom would really love it."

Luke groaned. "Why don't you ask the boys," he emphasized the last word, "to grab us some towels?"

"And how do you propose I do that? They can't hear us. We can barely hear ourselves," she argued.

With their backs to the door, they didn't notice the arrival of a familiar face. The visitor walked up behind them, smiling broadly. "Hi!" she shouted.

Luke and Lorelai both jumped a foot in the air, turning in panic to see Gypsy grinning like a fiend.

"Gypsy!" Luke and Lorelai yelled in synchronization.

"My God! You gave me a freaking heart attack," Lorelai continued. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, you told me to come by and…uh, take a look at the electrical outlets," Gypsy said, her eyes focused on the floor.

Lorelai wrinkled her brow. "Uh, no. No I didn't."

Gypsy swallowed. "Okay, I might have dreamt that."

Luke smirked. "Slow day at the office, Gypsy?"

She sighed. "I was curious, okay? I just wanted to see the work you've done to the place." She paused, taking in their appearances. "Why are you two so wet?

Lorelai smiled at Luke. "We were, uh, re-enacting 'Singin' in the Rain.' Luke was Gene, I was Debbie." She patted Luke on his chest. "He's quite a hoofer, this one." She winked at him.

Gypsy gave them a dubious look.

"Listen, Gypsy, it's actually really great that you're here," Lorelai said.

The mechanic smiled.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "Perfect timing."

Gypsy smiled wider.

"I have a special project for you," Lorelai offered. Gypsy's eyes widened and her ears perked up. "I need you to go into my office." Gypsy nodded, licking her lips. "Inside the closet in the back you'll find a big bag of towels." And just like that, Gypsy's ego deflated like a pin-pricked balloon. "Grab like 4 or 5 of them and bring them out here."

"Towels? That's my special project?" Gypsy whined. "This is only slightly embarrassing," she muttered.

"That's a good girl, Gypsy." Lorelai patted her back, pushing her in the direction of her office.

Luke grinned. "I think you insulted her," he told Lorelai, once Gypsy had disappeared from sight.

Lorelai smirked. "Eh, I'll let her test out the kitchen appliances after."

He laughed.

------------

"So, she finally grabbed the towels for us, and we dried ourselves off." Luke remarked, sharing the story of his adventurous afternoon.

"Sounds like fun," Nicole said dryly.

Luke shrugged. "It was no big deal."

Nicole stood in the kitchen of their Litchfield apartment pouring herself a glass of wine. "Listen, I'm going to be out late tomorrow night. Maybe you can move in the rest of your stuff?" she not-so-subtly suggested.

"Uh…yeah, I don't know," Luke said. "I have early deliveries the next morning, so I might just stay at the diner."

Nicole shook her head. "Huh. Imagine that," she said sarcastically.

Luke immediately reacted on the defensive, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You'll use any excuse to prolong this process, won't you? I mean, Luke, honestly, we're living together…but we're _not_ living together. Does that make any sense to you?"

"What do you expect me to do, Nicole? I have a diner to run, I have responsibilities. The world doesn't revolve around you!" he finished harshly.

"Yeah, you're right, Luke. How selfish of me to expect _my husband_ to move his belongings into _our house_. I don't know what I was thinking!" she snapped back.

Luke groaned, frustrated.

"You know what?" Nicole said. "I'm not arguing with you anymore. Stay, go, do whatever you want. I'll be upstairs."

Luke sighed, leaning his head into the couch cushions, staring at her retreating form.

"What a mess," he mumbled to himself.

------------

Lorelai shut the tv off and climbed the stairs, ready to collapse into bed after such an eventful day. Just as she finished her nightly rituals, the phone on her bedside table rang.

"Hello?" she answered tiredly, sliding into bed and relaxing her head on the pillows.

"What are you wearing?" Jason replied in a husky tone.

She smiled, sitting up a little. "A smile…and that's it," she teased.

"Are you serious?" Jason asked eagerly. "I can be there in like 15 minutes if I floor it."

She laughed. "Stay put, Macho Man. I'm two seconds away from unconscious here."

"Long day?" he said, knowingly.

"Very. I'll tell you all about it sometime." She yawned.

"How about tomorrow?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm taking the morning off," Jason said. "I thought I'd come by and check out the place that kidnapped my girlfriend."

She chuckled. "You mean the inn, of course?"

"Of course. What do you say?"

"Uh, sure. Yeah, that would be fine," she said apprehensively.

"Okay." Jason said, sounding pleased. "I'll let you sleep now."

"Thanks." She smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Lorelai hung up the phone and rolled onto her stomach, stretching out in the bed.

TBC…


	6. Rendezvous

_A/N: Hello, my dear readers! I must apologize for neglecting this story for so long. I thank you for your patience and trust that you will find the next instalment highly entertaining. Now, without further ado, buckle your seatbelts and enjoy the ride!_

_Also, a gigantic thank-you goes out to __**Filo**__, my favorite beta._

_**March 21, 2004…**_

Jason parked his car in Lorelai's driveway and leaned back in his seat. His speakerphone blasted with the high-pitched sounds of his overzealous clients from Belgium. He sighed, rubbing his temples. This wasn't his idea of a 'morning off'. He was so caught up in the conversation (that was somehow continuing without him), that he completely failed to notice Lorelai tapping on the window to get his attention. Grinning, she tapped harder on the glass, causing Jason to snap upright. He rolled down his window and whispered a quick "Hi." She smiled in response, amused by the jumble of voices that she heard coming from his car. Returning his attention to the conference call, he was determined to wrap things up.

"Uh, we spreken…elkaar later, um, nog wel," Jason struggled to say.

Lorelai covered her mouth to keep from giggling.

"Dank u. Tot ziens," Jason finished, hanging up. He heaved a sigh, wiping his palm across his forehead. "I really need to work on my Dutch."

Lorelai nodded. "Hey, what did that one guy say at the end there? Sounded kinda funny."

"I believe it was something along the lines of: 'If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much'."

She chuckled, opening the door for Jason to step out into the spring air.

"Am I late?" Jason asked tiredly.

Lorelai glanced at her watch. "It's like eight o'clock in the morning," she said. "You cannot associate that time with the word late."

Jason smiled. "So, I guess we should take separate vehicles. I have to leave around noon. Your father and I are playing nine holes with the Parsons."

"Alan?"

He shook his head. "Henry and Walter."

"Okay, let me grab my keys and we'll jet," Lorelai said, giving Jason a quick peck in the process.

In the two hours since Jason had arrived at the Dragonfly Inn, he and Lorelai had spent about eight minutes in the same room. Whenever Jason was free, Tom was accosting Lorelai, or her attention was required to solve a myriad of problems. Whenever Lorelai was free, Jason was tied up with clients on his relentlessly ringing cell phone. The situation had passed ridiculous a long time ago.

Lorelai leaned her entire bodyweight against the front desk, dropping her head in her hands. She wondered if the entire world collectively forgot that Sunday was the day of rest. Just as she closed her eyes, and tried to shut out the world, Jason finally appeared; his hands miraculously free of technology.

Lorelai smiled in surprise at him.

"Can we please freeze this moment?" Jason asked, equally amazed to see her standing (alone) in one place.

She laughed. "Do you really want to go on a tour of the inn, or can I just draw you a picture?"

He smiled and walked around the desk to join her, mirroring her position. They were both bushed and the day had just begun. "Are there beds here?" he wondered aloud.

Lorelai turned her head and gave him an inquiring look. "Um, yeah…it's an inn."

Jason shrugged. "Well, you're not open for business yet. It was a logical question."

"Yes, we have beds. Nice, big, plush…" She paused as a light bulb went off in her head.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking," Jason asked knowingly.

Lorelai smirked. "Mmhmm. I'm gonna grab some coffee from the kitchen. Meet you upstairs in five."

Jason nodded and took off for the stairs in a sprint. Lorelai chuckled at the scene.

About a minute after Lorelai disappeared into the kitchen, another visitor came through the front door of the inn. He poked around for a bit before deciding to try his luck upstairs.

Jason was sprawled out dramatically on the bed in room six. His eyes were shut and his head was cushioned by three pillows. When he heard footsteps nearing the room, he automatically assumed it was Lorelai. "Okay, if I could make love to a bed, this would be the one." Jason began, as the footsteps entered the room. "I mean, I've felt comfortable beds before…hell, I own one…but this. This bed is in a class of its own." When he didn't receive a response, Jason opened his eyes, and froze. "You're not Lorelai," he stated the obvious.

"Nice observation," Luke answered smugly. "Who the hell are you?"

Jason sat upright and slid to the edge of the bed, extending his hand. "Jason Stiles." Luke made no move to meet his gesture. Jason shrugged it off. "And you are?"

"Luke Danes."

Jason's eyebrows rose in recognition. "Ah, the infamous Luke Danes. You're a lot taller than I imagined."

Luke narrowed his eyes in confusion and annoyance.

"Lorelai has told me a lot about you," Jason continued. "We're, uh, dating," he thought necessary to add.

"You're dating?" Luke asked, visibly stunned.

Jason nodded. "Yeah, going on five months."

Before Luke had a chance to respond, Lorelai entered the room and stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two men. "You guys having a private rendezvous, or something?" she asked teasingly.

Neither man was amused.

"What's going on?" She tried another approach.

"I, uh, just came to return this," Luke said, extending the towel that he'd borrowed the previous day. "I didn't see you downstairs so I figured I'd check up here. Then I find Romeo here, posing for his GQ spread."

Lorelai fought back laughter.

"It's a very comfortable bed," Jason said, by way of explanation.

"So, I assume you two have met, then?" Lorelai asked.

Luke nodded. "We've been through the introductions."

"Okay, um, so how about we move the party somewhere a little less, uh, intimate?" Lorelai suggested.

Luke quickly agreed. Jason was having trouble moving from the bed. It was a _really_ comfortable bed. Lorelai grabbed him by the arm and helped him up. Luke rolled his eyes at the display.

When they entered the foyer, Luke paused near the window and noticed a familiar sports car parked outside. He turned to Jason for clarification. "That your car?" he asked.

Jason followed his line of sight and smiled. "Yeah. She's a beaut, isn't she?"

Luke pointed his thumb to the truck parked opposite Jason's car. "See that truck over there?"

Jason nodded casually. Then suddenly, everything clicked into place. "Oh, that was you?" he asked sheepishly.

This time Luke nodded.

"Sorry about that whole tailgating thing," Jason apologized sincerely.

Lorelai jumped into the conversation then. "What's this about tailgating?"

"I was driving through town this morning, minding my own business…and out of the blue, this jerk starts riding my ass. I had to finally pull over to let the maniac get by," Luke explained.

"Well, to be fair, you were only driving about ten miles an hour," Jason retorted.

"That's the speed limit!" Luke shouted.

"Wow," Jason said in surprise. "And you abide by that?"

"Jason," Lorelai warned, determined to stop things before they really got out of hand.

"Yes, I abide by that. And so does every other upstanding citizen in this town!" Luke barked.

"Luke," Lorelai cautioned.

"And we don't wear cashmere," Luke said in reference to Jason's sweater, "or drive cars that are worth more than our houses."

"Luke!" Lorelai shouted, earning her the attention of both men. "I wear cashmere." Luke rolled his eyes. "So not the point," she finished, lamely.

"Do you loan thousands of dollars to all of your friends, or just certain ones?" Jason accused Luke.

And things were definitely out of hand now. "Okay, boys, time out," Lorelai ordered. She grabbed Luke by the arm and pushed him in the direction of the kitchen. "We'll be right back," she assured a confused Jason.

As soon as the door swung closed, Lorelai started the interrogation. "Would you care to tell me what that was all about?"

Instead of answering, Luke came back with his own question. "This is the guy you're dating?"

"Yes. What's with the tude?"

"The guy's a total ass."

"He really isn't. You just caught him on a…road ragey day."

Luke gave her a dubious look.

"Well, I don't see Nicole winning any personality contests, either."

"I won't argue that."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Trouble in paradise?" she asked with a faint smile on her face.

"We're just…in two very different places right now…literally," Luke said honestly.

Lorelai nodded her head in understanding. "So, what are you going to do about that?" she found herself asking, with an air of hope she couldn't deny.

In that moment, Jason pushed open the door, determined to keep the party alive.

Both Luke and Lorelai sighed.

TBC…


	7. Beautiful Distraction

_Hi, everybody! Thank you all so much for the fantastic reviews. Because of your generosity and dedication as readers, I have decided to stay true to my word and update this story a little more frequently. So, without further ado, I present you the latest instalment of Bounty. Enjoy!_

_P.S. __**Filo**__, you are one cool beta._

_**April 3, 2004 Continued…**_

It was late in the workday. Lorelai and Sookie had talked the entire morning and most of the afternoon about one person in particular. Lorelai felt as though she had gone to confession; her conscience was comforted and her spirit was rejuvenated. But before they had exhausted all topics on the subject of _Luke_, Lorelai felt that it was important that she share one last detail with her friend and counsellor.

"So, I invited him to go horseback riding with me. Bad idea, right?"

"Just now?" Sookie asked, dumbfounded.

Lorelai chuckled. "No, like a couple weeks ago."

"Oh. Well…are you riding the same horse?"

"Uh, no."

Sookie nodded thoughtfully. "I think it's okay then."

"Okay. Are there any other rules that I should know about?" Lorelai asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Are there any other _rendezvous_ that I should know about?" Sookie responded just as cheekily.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "You win this round," she conceded.

Sookie smiled. "Listen, Lorelai," she began. "I don't want you to think you can't see him, or that you shouldn't see him. I just think that you need to be careful, that's all."

"So, no sandwich boards with a blown-up picture of Luke's…face on them?" Lorelai smartly refrained from sharing the original body part she was considering.

Sookie grinned. "You got it."

"Aw, Sook, you're no fun," she pretend pouted.

"Tough love, baby. Tough love."

The two women laughed.

_**March 21, 2004 Continued…**_

"Jason, what are you doing here?" Lorelai asked, exasperated.

"I'm taking a tour," he stated as though it was obvious. "This is a charmingkitchen," he added dramatically as he sidled past Luke.

"That's great, you can tell me all about it _later_," Lorelai said, grabbing Jason by the sleeve and ushering him back through the door he came in.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked, almost chuckling.

"I'm trying to get you to leave," Lorelai said through gritted teeth as she struggled to push him forward.

"_He_ gets to stay," Jason childishly remarked, eyeing Luke.

"Oh, please," Luke muttered under his breath.

"Jason," Lorelai pleaded. "Luke and I were having a conversation. Just give us a minute, okay?"

Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out his chequebook. "How much of a donation do I have to make to have a conversation with you?"

Lorelai shook her head. Luke wasn't so kind. "I don't believe this! Where do you get off, buddy?" he barked, moving within hitting range of Jason.

Lorelai immediately inserted herself as a barrier between the two testosterone-toting males.

She turned to face Luke and gave him an apologetic look. "Luke," she started.

He sighed, knowing exactly what she was asking before the words left her mouth. "I'll be outside."

"Thank you," she said softly, watching Luke as he exited through the back door.

She turned to Jason and her expression shifted. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, moving to the centre of the kitchen.

Jason followed her lead. "I'm sorry," he said. "I crossed the line."

"Yeah, big time," she agreed. "So you don't like Luke, I get that. But using me as a means to get to him, and disrespecting me in the process…that isn't fair. That isn't you. Or maybe it _is_ you. And if that's the case, then I don't want anything to do with you."

"Lorelai, please, let me make it up to you. You know I would never intentionally hurt you. I just got carried away. I blame my low blood sugar."

Lorelai glanced at her watch. "It's almost noon," she said knowingly.

"Yeah. I hate to leave like this. Can we talk later?"

She leaned against the counter tiredly. Drumming her fingers against the marble, she sighed. "We'll talk later."

He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "Thanks for the tour," he said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes, unsure of whether to chuckle, or strangle him, or do both simultaneously. "Go. Golf. Do your thing," she urged, pushing him out the door for the second time.

"You know, you're really sexy when you're mad," Jason told her as she finally forced him through the exit.

"Jason," Lorelai cautioned.

"Sorry, I'm going. We'll talk later." He leaned in and tried to kiss her. Lorelai stepped back, glaring at him.

"Ah, my punishment," Jason remarked. "You can punish me some more later." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

With one last push, Jason was on the porch and halfway down the stairs. He shot a wounded glance toward Lorelai, followed by a pathetic wave.

"Bye," she dragged out the word, closing the door for emphasis. Leaning her back against the solid oak, she closed her eyes and allowed her body to sink to the floor. Jason, she realized, was a lot of work. Lots and lots of work. But there was something about him that she found fascinating. Plus, he made her laugh. Despite all his infuriating qualities, he had the humour thing going for him. And he was certainly intelligent, and successful, and pretty decent in bed. All in all, not a bad catch. But he wasn't someone she saw herself marrying. Not even for the sake of sending Emily into a permanent coma. A smile slowly spread across her face at the thought of an unconscious Emily. That's when Luke appeared.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Lorelai jerked at the sound of his voice. She opened her eyes to see him standing over her, his arm extended. She smiled, gesturing for him to join her instead.

He reluctantly obliged, coming to a rest next to her on the floor. They were quiet for a moment, just taking in the scenery from this new angle. Luke was the first to break the silence. "So, uh…did he leave?" he asked casually.

Lorelai turned to face him, still smiling. "Yeah, he left."

"Was his head still attached to his body?" Luke asked more boldly this time.

Lorelai chuckled. "Luke, he's not a bad guy."

"No, of course not," he responded sarcastically. "And I suppose you're going to tell me that that was just his delightful sense of humour shining through, right?"

Lorelai repositioned her body so that she was facing him completely, her legs crossed. "Actually, Luke, that _really is_ his sense of humour. He's not-"

"A bad guy," Luke interrupted. "Yeah, I got it, Lorelai. But making a joke at your expense isn't my idea of humour."

Lorelai nodded in agreement. Silence resumed. Somehow the chaos from the morning had lifted and a quiet peace had returned in its place. "So, uh…you never did answer my question," she said softly.

Luke sat up a little. "What was the question?"

"You said that you and, um, Nicole were in…two very different places," Lorelai spoke carefully. "And I was just wondering, what you were planning on doing about that?"

"Oh," Luke said. "Well…I don't…I'm not really sure. I mean, I know we have a lot of issues to work out, but she just doesn't seem to get where I'm coming from. I can't just pick up and move, like it's no big deal. And frankly, I don't really want to live in Litchfield."

"Didn't you pick out the place with her?" Lorelai interjected.

"Well, yeah…but things were better then. Now, we can barely get through a conversation without it turning into a yelling match."

"Sounds like a healthy relationship," Lorelai said, in effort to lighten the mood. Luke chuckled. "Do you think…maybe you should, you know?"

"Divorce?" Luke asked.

Lorelai nodded.

Luke answered almost immediately, "I can't. I can't just quit on a marriage without giving it my best shot. I don't want to be that guy. That divorced guy. Maybe we could try counselling or something, I don't know. I just need this to work, you know?

Lorelai was feeling a mixture of disappointment and utter admiration regarding Luke's attitude toward his suffering marriage. "Yeah. Yeah, I get that."

Luke snorted. "I never imagined that I'd be married to a lawyer…and actually fighting to stay married."

She laughed. "Well, I think it's great that you're trying, Luke. I really do. But then again, some things just aren't…" she trailed off.

"What?" he pressed for her to continue.

"Meant to be."

To her relief, Luke smiled. "You may be right. We'll just have to see how this one plays out."

She smiled in return, unsure of how to interpret his words.

Luke stretched shoulders. "Well, thanks for the talk," he said, patting the outside of her leg affectionately. He rose from the floor and grabbed her hand in the process, hoisting her to her feet.

"My pleasure," Lorelai said, grinning from the unexpected boost.

"Maybe I'll hit you up the next time I need a therapy session. Save a few bucks," he teased.

"Oh, I'm much more expensive than a therapist. You'll have to supply the coffee, too."

He laughed, his hand poised on the door handle. "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Luke." She followed him onto the porch and watched as he descended the stairs. "Thanks for bringing the towel back," Lorelai called to him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and it certainly wasn't due to exertion.

He held up his hand; his trademark 'it was no big deal' gesture.

She smiled, and slowly returned inside. Taking a deep breath, she shouted as loud as her conscience would permit her, "What is wrong with me?!" With determination, she made her way to the nearest wall, and knocked her head against it. Repeatedly.

The front door swung open just as she was lining up for her tenth consecutive slam. She froze in place.

"Uh, Lorelai?" a nervous voice called from the entryway.

Lorelai turned immediately. "Gypsy!" she shouted in relief, rushing to her friend's side.

Gypsy smiled awkwardly, a little freaked out by Lorelai's display.

"So, two days in a row, Gyps. I think you like it here." Lorelai nudged her playfully.

"Are you drunk?" Gypsy asked outright, curious in part because she wanted in on some of the action.

Lorelai chuckled. "Oh, I wish, Gyps, I wish."

"Don't call me Gyps," the mechanic stated firmly.

Lorelai cleared her throat. "So…Gypsy," she emphasized her name, "Are you here for a particular reason, or just for a visit?"

"I came by to test out the kitchen appliances. You promised me yesterday, remember?"

Suddenly a light came on in Lorelai's tender head. "Oh, right! Right, right. Well, follow me, Gypsy." Lorelai led the way, stalling at various interludes to share tidbits about the inn that she thought might interest her companion. Distraction was a beautiful thing.

Thank God for Gypsy.

TBC…

And, might I add: In Gypsy We Trust. ;)


	8. Complications

_Hello, my friends! Thank you as always for your enthusiastic comments. I'm going on a little vacation – starting tomorrow, and I just wanted to let you know that it might be a couple weeks before I get a chance to update. But, I've made this chapter extra special in hopes that it will tide you over until my return. Enjoy!!_

_**Filo**__ is a beta extraordinaire._

_March 24,__2004…_

It was a bright and breezy Wednesday in Stars Hollow, and The Dragonfly was buzzing with activity. Sookie had returned earlier in the week, much to Lorelai's delight, and she'd jumped right into the swing of things, as if she'd never left. Even Michel had managed to show up for his shifts. Things were truly coming together.

As morning became afternoon, Lorelai and Tom moved to her office, giving them an opportunity to discuss the remaining projects. They only paused when they heard a strange noise emanating from the kitchen. Strange, in that it sounded like laughter. More specifically, the laughter of a Frenchman…and a chef. In concert. Lorelai rose from her chair in earnest, certain that whatever was happening in the kitchen, was the calm before the storm. Tom excused himself and returned to his workstation. The construction team was busy doing the interior work in the honeymoon suite.

Lorelai burst into the kitchen, and came to an abrupt halt. She couldn't contain her amusement at the scene before her. Sookie and Michel were thoroughly entangled in the electric cord that extended from the mixer.

Sookie finally noticed Lorelai's presence about a minute later. "Hi!" she said, giggling all the while.

Lorelai chuckled in response. "How on earth did you two manage to get into this mess?" she asked them.

"Well, Michel was…so then I put my…but we couldn't stop the…and then the ladle…but the mixer needed…so I flipped…"

Lorelai graciously interrupted the incomprehensible woman. "Sook, take a breath," she instructed. "I guess the more appropriate question is, how do we get you two _out_ of this mess?"

"I think the end of the cord is near my belt buckle," Michel finally contributed to the conversation, still seemingly in high spirits.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Ah, so that's why you're enjoying yourself so much," she teased.

Michel scowled; the buzz was killed. "You sicken me."

Lorelai smirked. "Okay, let's see what we can do here," she said, inspecting her tangled partners a little closer. "Hmm…" She made a move towards Michel's belt.

"Don't even think about it," he warned her.

"Simmer down, big guy. I'm not going there…yet." Lorelai responded, winking at Sookie. Another minute passed as she racked her brain trying to come up with a method of removal. "So, um, Sook…how attached are you to this mixer?"

"You mean Mable?" Sookie asked.

"Never mind." Lorelai looked to Michel, an apologetic expression on her face. "Honey, it looks like we're hitting the next stage in our relationship," she said. Sookie laughed.

"Do not take another step closer," he ordered through clenched teeth.

Lorelai inched her way towards Michel. "Work with me, Babe. Don't make this harder than it has to be." Sookie was giggling uncontrollably now.

"You are just loving this, aren't you?" Michel accused Lorelai.

"Oh, yes, Michel. It's every girls dream to touch a fella's belt buckle," she playfully mocked.

"I despise you," he hissed. Sookie had tears streaming down her face. She was wiggling and giggling so much that she'd managed to loosen the grip that the cord had on her and Michel.

Lorelai noticed Sookie's efforts, and spurred her on, "That's it, Sook! Shake those hips."

Of course, at that precise moment, an innocent party ventured unknowingly into the kitchen. "Oh. My. God." Gypsy said in shock. "I'm just gonna…" she trailed off, backing up as she spoke.

"It's not what it looks like!" Lorelai, Sookie and Michel shouted in unison.

Gypsy gave them a dubious look. "No, of course not. Well, I don't need to be here right now, anyway."

"Gypsy, wait!" Lorelai pleaded, grabbing the mechanic by the sleeve, and dragging her closer to the imprisoned pair. "See? They're all wound up in this cord. I was just trying to break them free," she explained.

"How the hell did this happen?" Gypsy asked, suddenly curious.

"Who cares how it happened! Just get us out of here!" Michel barked impatiently.

"You're almost there," Gypsy quickly informed them. "Just need a little tug here," she said, grabbing at the end near Michel's belt buckle. Michel almost collapsed. Sookie easily shifted herself out of the cord. Lorelai and Gypsy helped a faint Michel do the same.

"Once again, Gypsy saves the day," Lorelai beamed in appreciation.

"She's 'Super Gypsy'!" Sookie added, giggling still.

Gypsy smiled thoughtfully. "I should have T-shirt."

Once Michel could see straight, he stormed out of the kitchen without a single word.

"How's that for grateful?" Gypsy grumbled in annoyance.

"Just be glad he didn't try to strangle you with the cord," Lorelai returned, seriously.

"Or his belt," Sookie supplied.

Gypsy stared at the women in confusion.

Lorelai smartly switched topics. "So, Gypsy, tell me why you're here…again."

_March 27, 2004…_

It was Saturday, and Lorelai was sitting in the gazebo, her head still spinning from the disaster that was Friday Night Dinner. She could still hear the bitterness in Emily's voice, and see the disappointment etched on Richard's face. Floyd Stiles really knew how to liven up a party.

"Lorelai?" She heard a voice ask. Glancing up, she saw Luke, climbing the gazebo stairs.

"Hey, Luke," she said, smiling. The first time she'd done so in the last 24 hours.

"You okay?" he asked, moving to sit next to her.

She swallowed. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've been sitting out here for three hours. And every time I look out the window, I see you talking to yourself," he said wryly.

She smirked, taking pleasure in the fact that Luke was paying her so much attention from afar. "Crazy."

Luke grinned. "What is?"

"I am," she answered. Sighing, she leaned her head back against the bench. "My life just got a lot more complicated."

"How so?"

"In a word, Floyd Stiles."

"That's two words," Luke unnecessarily pointed out.

She raised her head and narrowed her eyes at him, then returned to her relaxed position.

He chuckled. "Jason's father, I take it."

Lorelai nodded. "He's suing my father…and Jason. His own son. Can you believe that?"

"Hold on," Luke said, trying to catch up. "Jason's father is suing your father?"

"Yeah, and Jason."

"Jason's suing your father, too?"

"No, Floyd is suing both Jason and my father," Lorelai explained.

Luke was quiet for a moment, just taking it all in. "Um, I'm guessing this isn't just a new way for the rich to pass the time?"

She laughed. It was remarkable how easily she could unwind in the company of Luke, despite the circumstances. "No, this is very real. And the only thing that seems to be overshadowing this horrible turn of events, is that Jason and I were exposed."

Luke gave her a questioning look.

Lorelai continued, "My parents didn't know we were dating. And neither did his, initially. When Jason left his father's business, Floyd hired a private detective to keep tabs on Jason, and my father by extension."

"So the detective found you out?" Luke asked, stunned.

"Yeah. Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"No…I just can't believe that anyone would go to such lengths."

She nodded. "I know. I mean, this whole situation is so awful, and yet somehow, through it all, I'm a tiny bit relieved. I don't have to hide my relationship any more. That's kind of a nice feeling."

"So things are still good with you two?"

Lorelai smiled at the inquiry. "We're finally entering the guilt-free phase of the relationship."

"Ah."

"How are, uh, you and Nicole?" Lorelai asked.

He thought for a moment. "We're exiting the tight-lipped phase and entering the 'pass me the chicken' phase."

She laughed. "I have no idea what that means."

He smiled. "We're talking again. Things are better."

"Oh, well, that's good. That's really good," she said, with an ounce of sincerity.

"Yeah. Well, I should get back." Luke gestured toward the diner. "If you ever need anything, or you just want to talk, you know where to find me."

"Ditto," Lorelai responded.

Luke stood up and squeezed Lorelai's shoulder. It was becoming part of their routine, these touches. As he was walking away, Lorelai called to him, "Hey, how many hours do I have to sit out here before you bring me a burger?"

He shook his head, continuing down the gazebo steps.

"And coffee!"

"Keep your pants on!" he shouted back in mock annoyance.

She grinned, feeling her face warm. Exhaling, she stretched her body across the bench. "Yeah, my life is _a lot_ more complicated."

TBC…

_I promise I'll hurry home as soon as possible. In the next chapter, we will finally be in the present time…of the past. If that makes any sense. Sounds terribly exciting, doesn't it? Till then, readers._


	9. Breaking News

_Hellooooo! I'm back, and very ready to resume this story. So, without further ado, let's continue our journey._

_**Filo**, you really know how to light my fire. ;)_

_April 1, 2004…_

Lorelai anxiously tapped her fingers against the countertop in the Hartford coffee shop. She prayed Jason would soon make an appearance, before she lost her nerve. It had taken a nice hot bath, and several internal debates for her to come to this conclusion.

When she'd called Jason a few days earlier to suggest the meeting, he was fast to agree. They'd spent nearly a week apart following the aftermath of Friday Night Dinner.

Jason entered the shop a moment later, his expression warm, but his eyes heavy with stress. He slid onto the stool next to Lorelai, smiling his greeting. "So…" he said.

"So…" she echoed, smiling back.

"Come here often?" he flirted teasingly.

"All the time, you?" she asked, falling into their comfortable give and take routine.

"Only when the ball and chain let's me loose."

She smirked. "My dad's pretty clingy, huh?"

Jason chuckled. In the ensuing silence, he ordered both of them a drink. "I was glad you called me the other day," he said, turning to face her.

"Yeah?" she asked, encouraging him to continue.

He nodded. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Sounds serious."

He took a swig of the straight black coffee in front of him. He turned to Lorelai, took a second swig.

She gave him a perplexed look.

"I'm suing your father," he finally forced out.

Lorelai nearly choked on her cappuccino. "What?"

Jason scrunched his face. "Do you really want me to repeat that?"

"Please tell me that this is an April Fools joke." Lorelai implored, the desperation apparent in her voice.

"It's not." Jason quashed any remaining hope. "Lorelai, I need to act. I've lost everything."

"What…when were you planning on telling me this?"

"I wanted to tell you when you called me the other day, but I…" he hesitated. "Wasn't there something that _you_ wanted to talk about?" he asked, turning the focus back to Lorelai.

"Yeah," she agreed, with renewed confidence. "Breaking up."

This time Jason was caught off guard. "What?"

Lorelai was silent.

"You want to break up with me and you're mad that I'm suing your father?" he accused.

"Oh, you so cannot compare those two things!" she returned harshly.

"Why not?"

Lorelai rose from her seat. "Because I'm not suing your family!" she boomed, earning her the attention of several fellow patrons.

Jason tugged gently on Lorelai's shoulder, coaxing her to sit back down. She cooperated, smiling her apologies to their audience.

Sighing, Jason spoke quietly, "You really want to break up?"

"I don't think I have a choice." She took in Jason's wounded appearance and lost a touch of her resolve. "Do you really see us going much beyond the point that we're at in this relationship?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I do. I mean, I'm not about to tattoo your name on my chest, but I don't want to loose you, either. I think we have something really good here."

Lorelai frowned. "I just…I don't feel the same way. And the bottom line is, I can't be with someone who's suing my family."

"I have to do it, Lorelai."

"No, you _don't_ have to do this," she said, her anger and frustration building once more.

"It's my only option."

Again, Lorelai rose from her seat, this time with finality. "Then this is goodbye."

_April 3, 2004…(Present Time – of the past. YAY!)_

It was early afternoon and the diner was packed. Luke circled the tables with his coffee pot (for the third time), grumbling in frustration at the lack of motion towards the exit. Most of the regulars filled the diner, but there were a few new faces in the crowd as well, and those new faces prevented Luke from grabbing the regulars by the sleeves and personally ejecting them from the premises. He had a headache, and they hadn't stopped yammering since the moment they entered his establishment.

"Are you sure you heard correctly?" Miss Patty asked.

"What am I, deaf? Of course I heard correctly," Gypsy shot back.

"What were ya doin' there, anyway, Gypsy?" Babette inquired.

The mechanic was thoughtfully silent, before responding (very unconvincingly) with, "Uh, Lorelai wanted me to check on the, um…plumbing?"

Patty and Babette exchanged smiles.

"So they broke up?" Kirk broke into the conversation, his mouth full of something orange. Perhaps an orange.

"That's what I said," Gypsy returned sharply. She was tired of repeating herself.

Kirk nodded. He wrote something on a pad of paper, slid from his seat, and to Luke's shock, was the first patron to exit.

"What the hell was that about?" Babette asked anyone and everyone.

"He's working at the _Stars Hollow Gazette_ now," Andrew said. "He writes the 'Around the town' column."

"Oh, for God's sake!" Luke barked from his stance behind the counter. When all eyes drifted to him, he shied away, busying himself by stacking paper cups. He certainly didn't want them to know he was interested in town gossip.

Gypsy rose from her seat and pressed her face next to the window in order to track Kirk. "I can't believe the little freak left before he interviewed me," she muttered. "I found the story, dammit!" she shouted this time.

By now, the first-time diner visitors were rather frightened by the actions of the colourful people that surrounded them. They had once occupied three tables, but now they were clustered together at one very small table in the corner furthest away from the townies. Luke gave them an apologetic look.

Gypsy returned to her groupies and sat down with a frustrated sigh. Andrew patted her on the shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"Well, I for one am not sorry that she's through with, uh…" Morey faltered.

"Jason," Babette supplied.

"Yeah," Morey continued. "Any guy that drives a flashy car is obviously lacking in other departments." Luke chuckled at that.

Another half hour passed before the townies slowly started filing out of the diner. Luke held the door open to speed up the process. Once they were officially gone, he wiped his hand across his forehead and turned his attention to the brave warriors at the corner table. "How about some pie?" he offered. "On the house." They smiled their approval.

--

Late that evening, Lorelai tiredly drove past the diner. Her heart told her to stop, but her head told her to press on home. Her stomach however, told her (very loudly) that it had been far too long since her last meal. _Stomach wins every time_, she said to herself. She parked the jeep next to the curb and slowly shuffled to the door, surprised to see an empty diner staring back at her. Not even Luke was in sight.

The jingling bells inspired Luke to emerge from his hiding place: the storage room. "Hey," he said, smiling, as Lorelai took a seat at the counter.

She grinned. "Hey back."

He quickly filled a mug of coffee and slid it to her, without a word.

Lorelai looked at him questioningly.

"Heard you've had a rough time, thought you could use it," he explained.

She took a sip. "You heard about the break up?" she asked, curious.

Luke nodded.

Lorelai was quietly contemplative for a moment. "May I ask _how_?" she finally said.

"Gypsy overheard you and Sookie talking at the inn," Luke stated matter-of-factly.

Lorelai shook her head. "Oh, she's good."

Luke chuckled. "She's crazy…They're all crazy," he said. "And I wouldn't read the paper tomorrow if I were you," he added.

Lorelai's eyes widened. "You can't be serious." Luke gave her a look of sympathy. "This is ridiculous!"

"I know," Luke agreed. "If you want, I can steal all the papers first thing tomorrow…and burn them."

She laughed at the thought. "As much as I would love that, I don't want to be responsible for the inevitable jail time that would follow. Burning a newspaper is comparable to burning the flag in this town. It's sacrilege."

"Can I at least hit Kirk?" Luke asked.

"Yes, but be gentle. He's a very frail man." Lorelai giggled.

Luke smiled in return. They were quiet for a moment. "So, how are you doing with the whole…you know?"

"Break up?" Lorelai asked.

Luke nodded.

"I'm dealing," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I just…needed some time to process everything."

"Yeah, of course."

"So," Lorelai began, intent on switching topics. "What's new with you?"

"Nothing much." Luke said, his attention focused on the duffel bag at the far end of the counter.

Lorelai followed his line of sight. "Yours?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, just a few odds and ends. I was just getting ready to take them to…"

"The new place, Litchfield," Lorelai finished for him.

"Yeah."

"You all moved in there now?"

"Pretty close. I'm still keeping a few things here. My tool box, some clothes…whatever."

"Bert's staying here," Lorelai remarked, smiling.

Luke chuckled.

"Well, I won't hold you up. I should get home, anyway. I've got, um…there's a show I need to watch tonight, so…" Lorelai trailed off.

"Can I make you something to eat?" Luke offered.

She tried to keep a straight face, but failed miserably. "I would love something to eat," she admitted, beaming.

"Get comfortable," he instructed. "Be back in a bit."

She grinned at his retreating form and moved to a table, dropping her purse, her coffee cup and her head onto it. Comfortable was an understatement.

TBC…


	10. The Very Thought Of Luke

_Thank you all for the wonderful words of encouragement. Now, find a nice quiet place, grab a glass of lemonade, and enjoy the latest instalment._

_Many thanks to __**Filo**__, the greatest beta in all the land._

_**April 8, 2004…**_

Thursday brought with it a temperature well above the norm for the time of year. Lorelai was wearing an outfit appropriate for a mid-summer's day when she left her home that morning: a paisley skirt with a light coloured tank, and a short tailored jacket on top. She felt confident, in her attire, and in her general life. She was a businesswoman well on her way towards becoming a successful entrepreneur. She somehow felt such a sense of calm during this most pivotal time. And there was really only one person to thank for that. Luke.

She thought about him often, on a daily basis. Whenever she ordered something new for the inn, from stationary to toiletries, she thought about him. Whenever she added another item to Tom's list of construction projects, she thought about him. Whenever she walked through the halls and admired the transformation of the building she had purchased with such high hopes and vivid dreams, she thought about him. It wouldn't be possible without him.

There were days that she would be so tied up at the inn, that she'd miss her chance to drop by the diner. But she still thought about him. There were days that she'd swing by Luke's at least twice. She thought about him a dozen more times. She just couldn't get him out of her mind…and she didn't want to. Her mind was set on Luke.

It helped Lorelai immensely to be able to confide in Sookie, sharing her thoughts and feelings as naturally as breathing. She realized that as long as she'd known, and been friends with Sookie, she'd never opened up this much to her before. It was very therapeutic for both parties, and they grew closer as a result.

As the workday ended, Lorelai and Sookie took a nice stroll around the property, enjoying the weather and the scenery.

"I can't believe how much this place has changed," Lorelai remarked, smiling at her friend as they walked along the fresh grass.

Sookie beamed. "I know."

They continued walking, just taking it all in, allowing the peace to wash over them.

"It's really happening," Lorelai barely whispered, her eyes filling with tears of joy, of relief.

"It's really happening," Sookie echoed. She clutched her friend by the arm and squeezed tight. This was their dream. This was their reality.

They leisurely made their way to the parking lot, stopping beside Sookie's van.

"Hey, you wanna grab a bite at Luke's?" Lorelai asked.

Sookie frowned. "I can't. Davey's got a check-up with Dr. Finley, and Jackson is going to a seminar about green houses…so I'm on deck."

Lorelai nodded in understanding. "How's the little guy doing?"

"Oh, he's good, he's doing well." Sookie paused thoughtfully. "Got a great pair of lungs, that kid."

Lorelai chuckled.

Sookie sighed. "See you tomorrow," she said, sliding into the driver's seat. "Behave yourself," she warned playfully.

"Always," Lorelai said, winking. She waved to Sookie and watched as she pulled out of the driveway.

--

Lorelai entered the diner with her usual flourish, sharing her thoughts with Luke and anyone within a five-mile radius, as she crossed the threshold. "I swear to God, if Kirk doesn't stop asking for my opinion on Legolas vs. Aragorn, I'm going to shove his 'journalistic' pen up his…Nicole!" Lorelai froze, her face turning a lovely shade of crimson upon seeing the lawyer swivel in her stool next to the counter.

"Lorelai, so nice to see you," Nicole said with forced cheer.

Luke struggled to keep a straight face.

"Yeah, you too," Lorelai returned nervously, sitting a stool away from Nicole. "Sorry for my, uh, entrance. See, Kirk…he writes for the Stars Hollow Gazette," Lorelai tried to explain. "He harasses people in the town to get stories for his column, and, well…I'm sure you don't care about this--"

Nicole interrupted with, "He asked me to weigh in on Rich Fields being named the new announcer on _The Price Is Right_."

Lorelai chuckled. "Really? What did you say?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I don't watch that show," Nicole said, on the verge of sounding condescending.

"No, of course not," Lorelai replied in the same breath. Suddenly her hands were the most interesting things in the world, so she studied them intently.

Luke graciously broke into the conversation, "Kirk asked me how I felt about the Republic of Ireland banning smoking in all enclosed work places, including restaurants, pubs and bars."

Lorelai laughed at his robotic tone. "Verbatim?" she asked, grinning.

Luke nodded. "I told him to shut the hell up before I banned him from the diner. Again."

This time, both women laughed. Luke smiled, pleased to have restored harmony, however temporary.

Nicole turned to Lorelai. "So, Luke tells me that things at the inn are progressing well?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, yes, lots and lots of progress." She smiled. "Thank--thanks…thank you for that," she rambled. Luke groaned.

"Oh, don't thank me, it's all him," Nicole said, nudging Luke semi-affectionately.

Lorelai swallowed hard. "Well, I've thanked him enough. I'm spreading the love now…you know, you gotta spread that love." Lorelai chuckled nervously. "I thanked Babette this morning, then, um, Bootsy this afternoon…and now it's your turn. It's just too bad that your name doesn't start with a 'b', 'cause I've got a 'b' theme happening here…"

Nicole just stared at her in silence.

"Coffee?" Luke asked, breaking the silence.

"Please," Lorelai said, grabbing at the mug before Luke had finished filling it. She chugged down half of the contents in one gulp.

Nicole stood up from her stool, eyeing Lorelai curiously. She gave Luke a quick peck on his cheek. "I need to run back to the office for a bit. I'll see you tonight," she told him.

Luke nodded.

"Take care, Lorelai," Nicole said to the woman with the mug pressed to her face.

Lorelai spoke into the ceramic, her response coming out as a muffled, "Yoom, toom."

Nicole gave Luke a glance, and then turned to leave, her heels clicking across the floor. The bells signalled her exit.

"You can come out now," Luke informed Lorelai.

She finally pried the mug from her face and set it down on the counter, grinning guiltily. "Mmm, that's some good coffee," she said, smacking her lips.

Luke shook his head. "I'm going upstairs for a bit," he said.

"Oh, okay."

"Cesar!" Luke shouted. "Goin' upstairs!"

"Okay, Boss!" came the reply from the kitchen.

Luke wiped his hands on the front of his pants and disappeared behind the curtain. Lorelai was left to stare at the empty mug in front of her. She had a sinking feeling that she'd done something to upset Luke. Taking a fast look around the diner, she ducked quietly behind the curtain, but not before asking Cesar to add a burger and fries to his list of orders.

Once outside Luke's apartment, she paused briefly, her nerves getting the better of her. After a deep breath, she rapped softly on the door.

"Who is it?" Luke's voice impatiently called out.

"It's, uh, Lorelai," she answered.

His footsteps thudded in her direction. He pulled the door open and gave her an annoyed look. "What do ya need?" he asked, stomping back into his apartment.

Lorelai followed him. "I don't need anything," she said. "Are…are you mad at me?" she asked him.

He turned to face her. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Well, you came up here in such a hurry…I thought you were…I thought I might have done something…"

Luke moved closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Lorelai, I'm not mad at you," he assured her. "I came up here looking for a receipt…and I still can't find the damn thing," he grunted, frustrated.

Lorelai was too preoccupied by the hand resting on her shoulder to respond. Luke didn't seem to notice.

"How can inanimate objects just get up and walk away?" he huffed, releasing his hold on Lorelai and resuming his search.

Finally Lorelai composed herself. "Sorry I was so spazzy earlier," she said. "She makes me so nervous."

Luke returned his attention to Lorelai. "Who? Nicole?" He smiled. "Her bark is worse than her bite."

Lorelai shrugged. "Well, she barks like a Bull Terrier."

Luke chuckled.

"Does Nicole know about the money, Luke?" Lorelai asked abruptly.

"She knows a little," he admitted.

"Okay." Lorelai nodded. "But it's not joint money?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "We've been here before."

"Well, I just wanted to be sure," she reasoned. "I thanked her, you know."

"Yeah, I was there," Luke said, fighting back a smile.

"God, that was so awkward. She must think I'm a total lunatic." Lorelai sighed, leaning against the kitchen table.

"Well, she wouldn't be far off," Luke poked.

"Oh, hardy-har-har." Lorelai slumped into a chair and dropped her head into her hands.

Luke sat across from her; suddenly the vanishing receipt was the furthest thing from his mind. "How's the money holding up, anyway?" he asked Lorelai after a minute.

Her head shot up immediately. "It's perfect, Luke. The money is…perfect. Thank you." She smiled.

"I told you to stop thanking me," he said.

"Kinda hard to do that when you keep bringing it up," she shot back, a huge grin on her face.

Luke chuckled.

"I should probably go, I asked Cesar to make me a burger," Lorelai remembered. "So…we're okay?"

"We're okay," Luke said in confirmation. He rose from the table and helped Lorelai do the same, walking her to the door.

"It's too bad you're going to Nicol…I mean, to your new place tonight," Lorelai began. "I was going to see if you were up for a hot date with Samson."

"Stove's out again?" Luke asked knowingly.

"Yeah."

"Socks?"

"Yep."

"I'll see if I can take a look at it tomorrow," Luke offered.

Lorelai grinned. "I'll tell Samson to leave a light on for you."

Luke leaned against the doorframe. "Bye, crazy lady."

"Bye, money bags," she returned, smirking at him as she walked out the door.

Luke closed the door behind her, a smile plastered to his face.

Lorelai was still smiling as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Her smile tripled in size upon seeing a delicious burger and a pile of fries at her still vacant stool. She hopped up and took a mammoth bite of her burger. And even though Cesar had prepared it, she thought of Luke.

TBC…


	11. Nature VS Nurture

_A/N: Hello my dear, patient readers. I apologize for the lack of Bounty in recent weeks. My life has been very busy allowing for little time for such pleasures as this, but I assure you, I will see this story to the end, and the end is only a few chapters away. So, without further ado, take a load off and enjoy the latest installment!_

_I dedicate this chapter to __**Filo**__, my funny and very accommodating beta._

_**April 9, 2004**_

As promised, Luke made a trip to Lorelai's that evening to take a look at her stove. With him, he carried his toolbox and a bag of food from the diner. Lorelai couldn't decide which guest to appreciate first: Luke, Bert or Hammy (Burger). She settled on taking a bite of Mr. Burger, while simultaneously patting Bert and Luke in greeting.

"You really are crazy, you know that?" Luke mumbled.

"I'm comfortable with that," Lorelai answered with a full mouth and a smirk.

They were standing in the foyer; Lorelai couldn't even wait to get to a table before chomping into the food.

"I'm just gonna-" Luke nodded his head towards the kitchen.

"Cool. Be with ya in a minute…both of you," Lorelai replied, winking at Bert.

Luke playfully rolled his eyes and started for the kitchen, his heavy feet echoing as he walked. He set his toolbox on the table, rolled up his sleeves and gave Samson a thorough inspection.

When Lorelai entered the kitchen, Luke was on his hands and knees, his head buried deep inside the oven. She felt a blush rise in her cheeks when she caught herself staring at his ass. When she finally cleared her throat to announce her presence, Luke nearly decapitated himself.

"Geez!" he barked, upon removing his head from the oven.

"Something wrong?" Lorelai asked innocently.

"Do you practice, or does it just come naturally to you?"

"What?" Lorelai asked, genuinely curious.

"Inducing heart attacks," Luke said gruffly.

She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Oh, _that_. That's all God-given talent, my friend."

Luke shook his head, unable to stop his lips from curving upwards. "I think I found the problem," he said, gesturing to the stove. I just need to do a little tweaking and she should be as good as new."

"_He_," Lorelai corrected him.

"He," Luke affirmed. He reached to the table to grab his toolbox, but Lorelai quickly moved to stand in his way. He sighed. "What now, Lorelai?"

"What do ya need?" she asked.

"I need my toolbox," Luke said dryly.

"What tool?" Lorelai persisted.

"What does it matter? Just hand me my toolbox," Luke demanded, his patience wearing thin.

Lorelai frowned. "I wanna help."

Luke snorted. "Do you not see the irony here, Lorelai?"

She looked at him blankly.

"Screwdriver," he relented. "Phillips."

Lorelai grinned triumphantly and began her search. "Got it!" she announced a moment later. "One Phillips screwdriver," she said, casually dropping the item in Luke's outstretched hand.

"Thank you," he responded curtly, but with a hint of amusement on his face.

"Not a problem," she said sincerely. She walked to the fridge and grabbed a couple cold beers. Luke used the opportunity to swipe a few more tools without interference. She pretended not to notice.

"Got a nice cold beer for you when you're ready," she told him, placing both bottles on the table and taking a seat.

Luke turned his head slightly in acknowledgement. "Great, thanks."

Lorelai twisted the cap off her bottle and took a long swig. "God, I love beer," she declared.

Luke chuckled. "Beer is good," he agreed.

"It really is," she said, taking another swig. A few minutes of comfortable silence passed. "Does Nicole drink beer?" Lorelai asked suddenly, and then kicked herself. Hard.

"Nope," Luke replied almost immediately. "She's all about the wine," he added, with obvious distaste.

"Should have known," Lorelai began somewhat snidely. "She probably thinks that beer is…I don't know…nitwit juice."

He smiled, enjoying Lorelai's take on Nicole.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Nah, it's okay," Luke reassured her. "_We_ know it's all about the beer, and that's all that matters."

Lorelai broke into a huge grin at his words.

"I'll be finished in just a sec," Luke informed her. "Then we can talk about all the other things that make Lorelai Gilmore a superior being." She laughed at that.

Another minute or two passed before Luke pulled himself away from his finished job. "All done," he said proudly, rising to his feet.

"Aw, you rock." Lorelai beamed.

Luke reached for his beer bottle, then changed his mind, turning his attention back to the tools scattered on the floor. "Guess I better clean these up first."

"Now how did all of those tools get down there?" she asked, feigning insult.

He shrugged from his position on the floor and resumed his task. "This is where I could use your help," he told her. "I'll pass them to you, and you can put them inside my toolbox."

Lorelai giggled. "So dirty!"

Luke shook his head and began passing her the tools, one at a time. With the final tool in his hand, he stood up and walked it over to his toolbox.

"Buh, buh, buh," Lorelai said, grabbing his arm. "Not so fast, buddy. You're creeping into my territory."

Without an argument, Luke handed her the remaining tool: one Phillips head screwdriver. She wasn't prepared for him to concede so easily and she fumbled, the screwdriver landed on the floor. They exchanged an 'it's not my fault, it's your fault' look, and simultaneously bent down to retrieve it. When they both rose, their bodies were separated by a fraction of space. Luke's hand held the screwdriver; Lorelai's hand held the table. Their eyes met, his filled with curiosity, hers filled with longing. Lorelai closed her eyes and leaned towards him, falling slowly. When she opened them again, she saw something in his that made her panic. In an instant, she pulled away from him, breathing heavily.

Before an uncomfortable word could be uttered, she walked with purpose to the fridge and removed two more beers, despite the fact that her opened bottle was half-full and Luke's was untouched.

"You really love beer," Luke said when she returned to the table.

Lorelai gave him an uneasy smile. "Yeah, um…thought you might like one for the road…or two…'cause you haven't really touched your first one yet, and I'm sure you're in a hurry to get home…to Nic…uh, your wife," she rambled.

He gave her a puzzled look. "Are you, uh, trying to get rid of me, or something?" he asked, chuckling nervously.

She sighed. "I just…right now my heart and my head are getting mixed signals. So I think your best bet is to get out of here…while you still can."

Luke scratched his head, confusion evident in his features. "Um, okay, I guess I'll see you later then." He picked up his toolbox and headed for the door. "See ya," he called one last time.

When the door closed behind him, she grabbed her bottle of beer and drained the contents.

--

**_April 10, 2004_**

"Sookie!" Lorelai shouted from the inn's foyer, on her way to the kitchen.

Sookie met her halfway, huffing and puffing. "What is it? What happened? Are we on fire?" she asked, hysterical.

Lorelai grabbed her friend by the shoulders in a soothing effort. "I think I almost kissed him," she blurted.

Sookie's eyes bugged out of her head. "Who?!"

"George Clooney. I crashed a party at his villa in Lake Como, and we totally hit it off." She paused, waiting for Sookie's 'don't patronize me look'. "Who do you think?"

"Luke?"

Lorelai nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Sookie squealed, clutching her heart. She lowered her voice suggestively. "How was it?"

"How was what? Kissing air?" Lorelai asked, exasperated. "I said I _almost_ kissed him, Sook, _almost_ being the operative word."

"Oh." Sookie finally received the message. "Well, how did you almost kiss Luke?" she asked, emphasizing the word that was so blatantly pointed out to her.

"He came over to take a look at Samson last night."

"Samson…the stove, right?" Sookie clarified.

"Right," Lorelai agreed. "Anyway, I was helping him put his tools away, and at one point I dropped a screwdriver. So we both bent down to pick it up at the same time, and smack, we were standing face to face. Before I could stop myself, I started leaning towards him. Another second and I would have been sucking his tongue."

Sookie giggled at the visual. "So, what happened?"

"My damn conscience kicked in…that, and the fact that Luke looked about as clueless as Alicia Silverstone."

"He didn't know you were about to kiss him?"

"I'm sure he knew, he had to have known," Lorelai reasoned. "But it was very clear that he didn't have the same intentions. So, I basically backed off and…kicked him out of my house."

"You what?!" Sookie demanded, dumbfounded.

"I told him to scram before I ripped his clothes off with my teeth. Or, you know, the PG version of that."

"Oh my God!" Sookie was beside herself.

"Now you understand why I can't go to the diner again for a very long time."

"Are you crazy? You need to march in there right now and finish what you started!"

Lorelai's eyebrows shot up. "Come again?"

"You heard me!"

"I thought you were all about the waiting. You said that Luke will eventually come around, but for now, I just need to wait. What happened to the waiting?"

"Oh, I'm still about the waiting…but sometimes nature has a way of intervening. You didn't drop that screwdriver on purpose, did you?" Sookie asked suspiciously.

"Uh, no."

"See? That was nature."

Lorelai gave her a dubious look. "O-kay. But Sookie, you do realize that I can't just, you know, kiss Luke in public, or anywhere for that matter. He's married."

Sookie sighed, defeated. "I know, you're right. I lost my head back there," she said in apology.

Lorelai chuckled. "It's okay, hon. Been there, done that."

Sookie balled her fists. "I just so want this to happen, damn it! You and Luke are perfect for each other. I swear, if Nicole doesn't get a clue soon, I'm gonna have to hire a hit man."

"Sook, you're scaring me," Lorelai said with a hint of seriousness. She thought for a moment, and then added, "Whatever it costs, I'll pay half."

Sookie giggled. "We are so going to hell."

Lorelai smiled. "I should get back to work. I have a ton of phone calls to make."

"Yeah," Sookie said, sounding disappointed.

"We'll talk later," Lorelai promised.

"Ooh, I'll make us some cheesecake!" Sookie shouted with glee.

Lorelai's eyes lit up. "How very Golden Girls of you."

Sookie giggled. "I know!"

Lorelai turned towards her office. "See you in a while," she said.

Sookie nodded, and started for the kitchen. "Oh, Lorelai?" she called.

"Yeah?"

"It'll happen."

Lorelai smiled.

TBC…


	12. Rumour Has It

_A/N: Yes, I realize it's been a little over 3 months since I last updated. I blame the economy. I hope that you're all still interested in this story because I assure you that I will see it through to the end. That's one thing I'm good for. And, I'll let you in on a little secret…there are only 2 chapters to go after this! Well, possibly 3, but certainly no more than 3. If you're lost, and can't remember where we left off, I don't blame you! But that is precisely why I kept the chapters a reasonable length. So, if you'd like to go back and read through again, I'll wait…_

_Ready?! Okay!_

_Many thanks to __**Filo**__: my patient and encouraging beta. And thanks to the gang (you know who you are) for the writing sessions. _

_**April 19, 2004**_

The rumours started circulating on a Tuesday. Where they originated from was a bit of a mystery, although, Gypsy's name was often included in the rumblings that passed from ear to nosy ear. But the rumours gained strength and momentum, as rumours often do, and by the time they reached Lorelai Gilmore, they were nearing the point of complete absurdity. Still, there could be found a token of truth from within.

The main players in the story that had been swelling like a tornado for the past week, were Luke and Nicole. Needless to say, Lorelai was indeed curious to know the validity of the information that she had received…much later than usual. She blamed her long hours at the inn, and was averse to admit that it might have something more to do with the fact that she hadn't darkened the diner's door in over a week – the hub of all activities gossip-related.

Now, it was Monday, six days into the rumour course, and ten days post-AK – commonly referred to as: Almost Kiss. Lorelai hadn't forgotten the night that Luke had unassumingly entered her home in an effort to fix her dear Samson, and she'd nearly slammed him on the table and removed every last ounce of dignity the man possessed. Well, she hadn't quite been able to get past the kissing stage, but the table was definitely the next move on her agenda. And now with these rumours floating about, she couldn't pretend that there wasn't a spark of hope inside her, just waiting to take flight.

Lorelai walked briskly through the foyer of the inn and entered the kitchen a moment later, a determined look on her face. "Sookie," she boomed. "You in the mood for a burger?"

"Uh…sure?" Sookie said, bewildered.

"Great. Here's what I need you to do…"

--

Sookie was in the diner and sitting at the counter exactly 30 minutes later. Luke gave her a pleased, albeit curious smile. It wasn't often that Sookie graced the diner in a solo fashion, and for her to do it now, considering the state of the inn, and the rapidly approaching opening date, Luke certainly had cause for suspicion.

She leaned forward on her elbows, watching Luke poise his pen over paper to take her order. "So…what's new?" she asked in a perky voice.

Luke gave her a half puzzled, half annoyed look. "Nothing."

"Nothing eventful happening in your life?" she pried further.

He thought for a moment. "Had a kid spill apple juice this morning. There's ten minutes of my life that I'll never get back."

"O-kay."

"What can I get ya?" Luke asked impatiently.

"Um…hmm, maybe a salad. Hey, where's the salad that what's-her-name made you add to the menu?"

"Nicole?"

"Yeah, Nicole," Sookie said suggestively, dragging out the lawyer's name.

Luke wasn't taking the bait. "Do you want a salad or not?" he grumbled.

Sookie sighed, defeated. "Just give me a burger. And don't skimp on the grease!"

--

Lorelai nearly bowled Sookie over when she returned to the inn. "So, what'd ya get, Squiggy? What's the dirt?"

Sookie gestured for Lorelai to follow her into a more private area. She stopped when they reached the newly constructed library. "Well," she said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Luke was giving me the old 'shifty eyes' manoeuvre practically the whole time I was there. And when he said the word Nicole, he sounded kinda peeved. Oh, and he said salad all angry, too. And we _know_ he likes salad." Sookie's detective work was a thing to be marvelled.

Lorelai stared at her friend, dumbfounded. "That's all you got?!"

She swallowed nervously. "Well, you know Luke. He clams up."

Lorelai groaned. "Sookie, you…I mean, how can you? Gah!" she erupted in frustration. "We're on the verge of something huge here. Luke and Nicole are allegedly on the freeway towards Splitzville, and all I wanted from you was a little confirmation. I need a little help here, Sook!" Before Sookie could get a word in edgewise, Lorelai continued in a much calmer tone. "No, you know what? I don't care. If he wants to tell me, he'll tell me. Otherwise…I just don't care."

Sookie gave her a dubious look.

Lorelai closed her eyes and massaged her aching head. "So, I care. Big deal."

Sookie smiled knowingly. "I really wish you'd stop avoiding him. How do you expect him to tell you anything when you keep avoiding him?"

"Sook, you know I can't see him. I get all crazy whenever I'm around him. My hormones go into overdrive."

"But you can't just stop seeing him. What if he never breaks it off with Nicole? Are you going to remove him from your life completely?" Sookie asked seriously.

Lorelai took a heavy breath and glared at her friend. "You're annoying," she told her.

She giggled. "Then I must be doing my job right."

--

_**April 21, 2004**_

On Wednesday, Lorelai's hide and seek jig was finally up. She ran into Luke in the most unusual of places: the diner.

She was desperate for a cup of Luke's coffee; it'd been twelve days since her last fix. As she stood on the sidewalk outside the establishment, she calculated the odds of her managing to sneak inside without a confrontation with the proprietor. She glanced through the window, watching as Luke moved from table to table with coffee pot in hand. When he returned behind the counter, he set the coffee pot down, grabbed a stack of paper from the shelf below, and disappeared behind the curtain.

Her heart pounded. She inhaled a quick breath and gently pushed open the door. The obnoxious sound of the bells overhead made her jump, much to the amusement of the familiar townies residing at the corner table.

"Whoo, someone's got a case of the jitters!" Babette hollered.

Lorelai sighed, and plastered on a smile as she walked towards 'Hello Magazine'.

"You know, there's only one cure for the jitters," Miss Patty informed Lorelai as she approached.

"I can't wait to hear it," Lorelai pointlessly responded. Patty never needed an invitation to speak.

"Sex, dear," she remarked. Lorelai snorted.

Babette agreed, "Yeah, sex'll cure whatever ails ya."

"It's been a while, hasn't it? How long has it been?" Patty asked Babette.

"Well, Jason's been outta the picture about three weeks now. Four, if you take into account the week after that whole Floyd thing."

Lorelai's jaw dropped to the floor as she stood by and witnessed the two women conversing back and forth about her sex life. She felt like a fly on the wall.

"Four weeks," Patty considered. "How dreadful."

"But it just so happens that there's a new bachelor in town," Babette pointed out.

Patty's eyes lit up. "Ooh, yes. A match made in heaven." Both she and Babette turned to Lorelai, cunning smiles adorning their faces.

"Bachelor?" Lorelai finally asked, breaking the awkward silence. "Wh-who…who's the bachelor?" She hoped it was Luke. She prayed it was Luke.

The man of the hour chose that very moment to re-enter the diner, bringing the 'bachelor conversation' to an abrupt halt. He glanced up and noticed Lorelai standing next to Babette and Patty's table. She caught his eye, and smiled nervously.

"Uh, I'll talk to you gals later," Lorelai told the busybodies as she shuffled slowly toward the counter, and Luke.

"Match made in heaven," Patty repeated under her breath, turning her chair to get a better view of the unfolding scene.

Luke smiled at Lorelai as she situated herself on a stool. "Coffee?" he asked her.

"Please," she said.

He filled a mug with the steaming liquid and set it down in front of her. She smiled in appreciation. "So," he began casually, "I haven't seen you around much lately."

She shrugged, her eyes focused on the countertop. "Well, the inn…it's taking up a lot of my time."

"Yeah." Luke nodded in understanding. "Is that all?"

Lorelai lifted her eyes to meet his. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It just feels like you've been, uh…avoiding me."

Lorelai fidgeted with the mug in her hands. "That's crazy," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

"So you haven't been avoiding me?" Luke challenged.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "Is there a reason that I should be avoiding you?" She was giving him an opening. If there was even the slightest chance that he was a conscious part of that almost kiss, then this would be the golden opportunity to fess up.

Luke raised an eyebrow, obviously impressed by her tactics. He cleared his throat and abruptly switched topics, "I, uh, heard Saturday is supposed to be a clear, sunny day."

"Super," Lorelai returned sarcastically. "I'll buy a pink parasol."

"I was thinking about swinging by the inn, for that horseback riding thing…you know, if the invitation is still on the table."

She blinked in surprise, mentally kicking herself for allowing him to catch her so off guard. "Of course it's still on the table. Why wouldn't it be on the table?" she answered defensively.

"I don't know. I was just checking." Luke backed away from the counter and fought to suppress his amusement. That seemed to aggravate her further.

"Well, no need," she said harshly. Taking a final swig of her coffee, she rose to her feet and marched toward the door. "I'll see you Saturday!" she barked over her shoulder.

"See you Saturday," Luke called back, smiling.

Babette and Miss Patty chuckled in the corner, having received a day's worth of entertainment in the span of ten minutes.

--

By the time Lorelai reached the inn, Sookie was waiting for her on the porch steps with open arms. Lorelai's hysterical call from her cell phone minutes earlier was enough to warrant an extended vacation at the Betty Ford Clinic, let alone a major venting session with her dear friend and confident.

Sookie hooked her arm around Lorelai's and helped her up the stairs and into the sitting room, where they relaxed next to each other on the plush couch.

Lorelai sighed, dropping her head into her hands. "Sookie, I'm such an idiot. I need to go back and apologize."

The chef rubbed her friend's shoulder soothingly. "It's okay, Sweetie. Just let it all out."

"What am I so upset about? I don't even know. I mean, I guess I'm ticked off that he doesn't realize why I'm really avoiding him. Or maybe he does realize it, but that just ticks me off even more because he's not saying anything. How could he not know why I'm avoiding him? We almost kissed! I wasn't hallucinating…it really happened. He's either a complete dolt, or he just wants to pretend it never happened. But he could at least acknowledge that it did, in fact, HAPPEN!"

Sookie almost felt the need to applaud after Lorelai's emotional rant. She didn't, however, but someone else did…

"That was Oscar-worthy," Gypsy remarked from the foyer, making her way towards the star of the show.

"Oh God," Lorelai groaned. "We really need to start locking the front door," she said to Sookie.

Gypsy stopped next to the couch and smiled. "The place is looking great."

"That's nice," Lorelai muttered. "Gypsy, what are you doing here? Don't you have, like, a business of your own to attend to?"

"I'm on break."

Lorelai chuckled. "Of course you are."

"You know, you're lucky that I showed up," Gypsy declared, taking a seat on the armrest of the couch.

"I'm feeling pretty lucky," Sookie said, giggling. Lorelai shook her head. If there had been a Gypsy Fan Club, Sookie would have been the President.

"Okay, Gypsy. I'll take the bait. What do you know, and how much will it cost to get it out of you?" Lorelai demanded.

"Luke and Nicole are getting a divorce," the mechanic replied without missing a beat. You could hear a pin drop in the room. She waited a minute for Lorelai to digest the information before adding, "And I'd like a copy of the master key to the inn…so I can keep an eye on things for you."

Lorelai gave her a wary look. "Is that why you're always showing up?" she wondered. "So you can keep an eye on things?"

Gypsy shrugged. "I just want to make sure Tom's crew is doing everything right." Lorelai smiled warmly at the heartfelt declaration. Gypsy's Fan Club was about to increase by one member. Gypsy coughed nervously, having exposed too much of herself. "I need to get back. Just didn't want you doing anything stupid before you knew the facts."

Lorelai and Sookie looked on as Gypsy stomped to the front door and waved haphazardly upon exiting.

"Did she say Luke and Nicole are getting a divorce?" Lorelai asked Sookie, her eyes wide in amazement.

Sookie nodded, smiling at the length of time it took her friend to comprehend the information.

Lorelai's face lit up in a huge grin. "Guess I better have a key made."

TBC…


	13. Sour Keys And Tootsie Pops

_A/N: Hellooooo!! Thanks for the lovely reviews, my friends, and welcome to the third last chapter of Bounty. Please keep your arms and legs inside the train at all times and enjoy your visit to Stars Hollow! :)_

_Filo, you rock the beta! Boom de yada!_

_**April 21, 2004**_

There was an undeniable spring in Lorelai's step as she walked back up the diner steps and re-entered the building, less than two hours after her earlier run-in with Luke.

Caesar rounded the counter, his arms heavy with orders. He glanced up at Lorelai and gave her his trademark dimpled smile. She smiled in return and sat on a stool as she waited for Luke to appear.

"You looking for coffee, or you looking for Luke?" Caesar inquired as he huffed and puffed his way around the counter again.

"I'm always looking for coffee," Lorelai admitted. "And yeah, I was kinda hoping I could speak to Luke. Why? Is he not around?"

Caesar quickly filled a mug of coffee, swiping at his sweat-dampened brow with his free hand. "Pretty sure he's upstairs," he said, sliding the mug towards Lorelai.

"Oh," Lorelai replied, examining her drink before taking a sip.

"Go on up," Caesar told her. "He won't mind."

She quirked an eyebrow in suspicion.

"He usually tells me if he doesn't want company. Didn't say anything this time around. It's his own fault."

Lorelai chuckled.

"Go ahead and tell him I said that," Caesar stated boldly.

"I'll do that." She smirked, sliding off her stool. "Partner's in crime," she said, winking at Caesar as she pulled aside the curtain.

The door to Luke's apartment was slightly ajar. She knocked lightly, pushing forward at the same time. Her eyes scanned the room, noting the dirty dishes in the sink and the clothing draped over the back of the couch. Something else caught her eye, too. A tape player was resting in the center of the kitchen table, alongside it, what appeared to be some sort of book. As she closed the space between herself and the table, she caught the title of the confirmed book: 'You Deserve Love'.

"What is this, some kind of self-help book?" she wondered aloud, sliding her fingers along the binding. She flipped open the cover and skimmed over the pages. Her eyes focused on the word 'LOVE' in big, bold letters. That same word repeated, over and over again throughout the text. Suddenly her mouth felt incredibly dry. She pulled at her collar distractedly as a rush of guilt and anger and hurt ran through her. It was so clear to her what was going on here. This was a last ditch effort by a desperate man trying to restore his marriage. What else would possess him to read something so pathetically mockable? And there were tapes! As if the written word wasn't strong enough, he needed a soothing voice to hit the message home. She could only assume it was a soothing voice; an annoyingly soothing voice.

"Stupid self-help people with their stupid self-help voices and their stupid self-help books that are 500 hundred stupid pages long!" Lorelai screamed out in frustration, slamming the book closed. "God," she groaned, raising her head as she took a shaky breath. She felt like crying. No, she felt like tearing out every last page of that stupid book and burning it…and then scattering the ashes on every damn lawn in the whole damn town. They were all responsible for creating the rumours, and for making her believe the rumours. They should all suffer the consequences.

She continued mulling over her evil scheme as she walked toward the open door and entered the hallway; the book remained intact on the table. Still, she chuckled at herself, at her conniving thoughts. It was the only way to keep from crying.

************

Luke entered the diner from the street after making a quick run to Doose's. The bells signalled his arrival and earned him a confused salutation from Caesar.

"I thought you were upstairs," Caesar said. "I just sent Lorelai up there."

"Lorelai?" Luke asked in surprise. "You sent her upstairs?" Caesar nodded. "I'll, uh…" he trailed off, hurrying behind the curtain.

************

Just as Luke started up the staircase, Lorelai started down. Their eyes landed on each other and they froze in place.

"I was just, uh…leaving," Lorelai said, taking a tentative step down.

"You don't have to leave," Luke told her.

"No…yes, I do." She took another step down.

"I'm assuming you came here to see me?" Luke moved up a step.

"Well, um, yes, but I don't need to see you anymore. See, I, uh, just thought I needed to see you, but turns out that I, um…don't." Her foot brushed against the top of the next step.

He smirked. "Oh yeah?"

Lorelai nodded, watching as he climbed two steps this time. It was like a game of chess, these small, deliberate moves. And suddenly she found herself incapable of responding. She remained transfixed on her third step as Luke continued climbing higher and higher, slowly and methodically. He stopped when he reached the step below hers, leaning his weight against the banister.

"Going up?" Luke asked, his eyes sprinkled with amusement.

"No," she said softly, shaking her head.

"Okay." He paused, taking in her flushed features. "Could I at least go up then?"

Lorelai opened her mouth to respond, but instead found herself chuckling. "Guess I need to move, huh?" She cringed at the sound of her flirty voice. How was it that minutes earlier she had been furious at this man, and now, now that he was inches away from her, acting so cool and collected, she was putty in his hands?

"That would be helpful, yes," he said, smiling at her expression and her words.

She moved to occupy the same step as Luke, using the opposite wall to control her unstable limbs. She leaned forward daringly and looked into his eyes as she slid gently past him onto the next step, allowing her body to linger against the feel of his for longer than was necessary.

He took a heavy breath, his eyes intently following her movements as she descended the stairs until she was at ground level. She turned to face him, quirking her eyebrow as if in question.

"Uh, weren't you going somewhere?" she asked him pointedly.

He coughed nervously, pushing off the banister. "Yeah, yeah. Just, uh…yeah. So I'll see you Saturday?"

She nodded, turning towards the curtain. "Guess so," she said over her shoulder, shooting him one last glance before disappearing out of sight.

As soon as Lorelai's feet hit the sidewalk, her frustration returned full force. She found that it was much easier to be mad at Luke when he wasn't standing next to her, filling her with very impure thoughts. But really, it wasn't Luke that she was mad at. She was mad at herself; for believing the rumours, for investing so much of herself in the possibility of a married man…for taking advice from Gypsy.

Her pace increased as her next destination came into view. When she reached the shop, she snatched the door open and shouted for the owner.

"Hold your freaking carburetor, I'll be right there!" came the mechanic's unmistakable voice.

Lorelai huffed impatiently, tapping her foot against the cold cement floor.

Moments later, Gypsy came out from behind an engine, wiping the grease from her hands and face as she approached Lorelai. "What the heck are _you_ doing here?"

"Oh, so it's okay for you to take up lodging in my place of business, but I can't come to yours?" Lorelai demanded.

"Hey, you wanna grab a wrench, then by all means," Gypsy said.

"Are you kidding me?" Lorelai scoffed. "I might break a nail."

"Then what exactly do you want? The next tour starts in…never."

"I don't want a tour!" Lorelai snapped.

"You having blood sugar issues or something?" Gypsy remarked at Lorelai's tone. "There's a bowl of Tootsie Pops in my office."

"I don't want any Tootsie Pops! Here! Here's your damn key!" Lorelai barked, throwing the metal object at Gypsy as she turned and stormed out of the building.

"Jeez," Gypsy muttered, picking up the key from the floor. She turned it over in her palm and noticed an inscription: 'In Gypsy We Trust.' She smirked, patting the key with affection before stuffing it safely into her pocket.

************

Once Lorelai returned to the Dragonfly, Sookie picked up their therapy session as if she'd never left.

"I just threw Gypsy's key at her," Lorelai said, groaning into her hands.

"You had a key made already?"

"Yeah, they do quick work at Vinny's. My God, I was ready to have a statue erected in her honour after she shared that news about Luke," Lorelai admitted.

Sookie frowned, wrapping her arms tighter around Lorelai. They both sat heavily on the couch – the shrink couch.

"Sook, I'm falling apart. I'm a nervous wreck. I can't believe I bought into this crap, that Luke was actually getting a divorce. What a load of bull."

"But it has to be true. Why would everyone say it was true if it wasn't true?"

"Because they want to see me crack. They want to see how desperate I am. Everyone in this damn town can't wait for me to admit that I'm in love with Luke."

Sookie's eyes widened at the 'l' word. "_Are_ you in love with Luke?" she asked anxiously.

Lorelai turned a deep shade of red before the question was even posed. "No, I…I'm not." She lowered her head and said softly, "I want to be. I want to have a chance with him."

Sookie sighed dreamily. "Oh, me too."

"Really? You want a chance with Luke?" Lorelai poked. "'Cause I am not afraid to mess you up."

"No." Sookie giggled. "I meant you. I want you to have chance with him."

Lorelai smiled. "Man, this has been a day for the books. Literally."

"Are you sure that it was a self-help book?" Sookie wondered. "Maybe it was a romance novel. Ooh, Luke could be a hopeless romantic."

"It was very clearly a self-help book."

"But maybe it wasn't Luke's."

"Then who's was it, Nicole's?"

Sookie shrugged. "Maybe Caesar's?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Let's just face the facts here. Luke and Nicole are obviously still together and Luke is trying very hard to keep it that way."

"Maybe he's taking a psychology course on the side?"

"Yeah, and he's a private dancer at night," Lorelai deadpanned.

Sookie chuckled. "Did you really throw the key at Gypsy?"

"Yep."

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Nope."

"I like Gypsy," Sookie mused.

"I gathered," Lorelai said, smiling. "I'll buy her some Tootsie Pops."

"Ooh, get some for us too! Grape ones…oh, and chocolate! Raspberry!"

Lorelai nodded, rising slowly to her feet. "Thanks for the session."

"Any time."

"You should charge, Sook. The way I've been leaning on you lately, you'd be making a killing."

Sookie seemed to consider the suggestion.

"Or, you know, I could pay you in Tootsie Pops."

This time the chef lit up in a huge smile. "You could pay me in Tootsie!"

Lorelai cleared her throat and said in her best Dorothy Michaels voice, "I think I'm gonna give every nurse on this floor an electric cattle prod, and just instruct them to just zap him in his badoobies."

"Oh my God!" Sookie squealed. "We're having a girl's night tonight! Jackson can handle Davey for a few hours."

Lorelai laughed. "You're on."

"Hey, maybe we should invite Gypsy, you know, as a peace offering?" Sookie asked hopeful.

"Yes, sure, whatever will make you happy."

Sookie jumped excitedly from the couch and headed towards the nearest phone. "Something's telling me it might be you," she sang loudly as she walked away.

Lorelai shook her head. "I think we're getting into a weird area here," she muttered, smiling at her friend's retreating form.

TBC…


	14. Emotions

_A/N: Hellooooo readers! Thank you all so very much for your continued interest in this story. We've finally reached the penultimate chapter, so without further ado I present to you the Bounty experience – in technicolor!_

_Special thanks to __**Filo**__, the lady with all the compliments. She's a great beta, too._

_**April 21, 2004…**_

When Gypsy arrived at the Crap Shack, she was practically yanked into the house by an overzealous Sookie and Lorelai. It hadn't taken much convincing to get the mechanic to agree to a girls' night out. Rather, it hadn't taken much convincing after Lorelai promised Gypsy her business for the jeep's next three oil changes.

Gypsy looked around in mild amusement. The house had been decorated with a few stray balloons in bright grey and black hues. They were always the colours left behind. Colours that seemed more fitting for a funeral, should a funeral warrant such decorations. But the fact of the matter was, they were still balloons, and balloons were fun, and this night was all about fun. So they hung, in all their bleakness, in random places around the living room.

"What the hell is this?" Gypsy asked, her eyes focusing curiously on the massive pile of movies spread out on the coffee table. "I'm only here for a couple hours, not a lifetime."

Lorelai chuckled. "It's all about the choices, Gypsy."

"We even picked up a copy of _G.I. Jane_. You like that kind of stuff, don't you?" Sookie asked, hopeful.

"What kind of stuff?" Gypsy pressed.

Sookie flushed. "Oh, you know… tough stuff?"

Gypsy rolled her eyes. "I personally thought Demi was better in _Ghost_, but _G.I. Jane_ is a pretty decent flick."

Lorelai smirked. "Wow, Gypsy's a total movie buff. Who knew?"

"I live alone," she said by way of explanation.

"I guess we'll have to do this more often then," Lorelai offered.

"I can leave now," Gypsy threatened.

"Once is good," Lorelai rectified. "So, hey, what was in that bag you brought in?"

Gypsy walked into the hall and unzipped her backpack. "Brought some chocolate," she said, carrying several packages with her to the living room.

"Ooh," Lorelai said, smiling in delight. "We have our own Willy Wonka. First the Tootsie Pops, now the chocolate. You are just full of delicious surprises."

"Too bad I live alone," Gypsy replied sardonically.

"Yeah, too bad," Sookie agreed. "Chocolate is a great aphrodisiac." Gypsy snorted.

"So, Sookie and I were thinking we might kick things off with a little _Tootsie_. You know, Dorothy Michaels," Lorelai said.

Gypsy nodded thoughtfully. "I always thought that Dustin Hoffman looked better as a woman."

Lorelai laughed. "So with you there."

Sookie and Gypsy took a seat on the couch while Lorelai set the movie up. Before sitting herself, she cleared off the coffee table and headed for the kitchen.

"What's she doing now?" Gypsy asked Sookie.

"Snacks," Sookie answered.

"But I brought snacks," Gypsy argued.

Sookie giggled. "You brought an appetizer. Lorelai is bringing out the main course." Just as the words left her mouth, Lorelai reappeared carrying a tray loaded with enough junk food to sink a battleship.

Gypsy stared in wide-eyed amazement. "Um… I retract my previous statement," she said. "I think we should make this movie night thing a tradition."

************

The diner had been uncharacteristically busy for a Wednesday night. Caesar stayed on past his shift and helped Luke to clean up once the final customers were on their way. Luke always appreciated having an extra hand during close. There was nothing he hated more than cleaning up the grease left behind after the pigs had come to the trough.

Another thing he could live without was the music Caesar insisted on playing. Tonight however, Caesar hadn't even bothered to plug in the stereo. He wanted to talk. And so, they talked.

"So, anything happen with Lorelai today?" Caesar asked without hesitation.

"Nothing," Luke sighed. "I don't really know what's going on with her."

"Did you get that self-help book?"

"Yeah, I got it. Damn thing cost me more than this toaster," he muttered, cleaning the aforementioned item.

"Wow," Caesar mused. "Andrew must be making a killing over there." His eyes drifted off in thought. "Wonder if he's hiring."

Luke grunted in response.

"Nah," Caesar continued, "I think I'll stay. It's your soothing voice that keeps me here."

"Caesar, shut up," Luke said with a hint of amusement in his features.

He chuckled. "You got it, Boss."

_**April 24, 2004…**_

The end of the week played out much the same as the beginning for Lorelai. She avoided Luke and his establishment like the plague. But she wasn't the least bit surprised when he showed up at the inn on Saturday. She had arrived in the early morning for the much anticipated horse delivery. Once the quadrupeds were safely settled in their new home, she busied herself with a few projects in the main building. When she finally stepped outside again, her breath caught in her throat. He was there. She saw his truck parked out front, and her stomach lurched.

She'd kicked herself countless times for even suggesting it. It had never occurred to her that he'd actually take her up on the offer. When she'd first proposed the idea of horseback riding, a mere five weeks earlier, she was aching for him to accept. Now, as she stood unmoving on the gravel drive, arms wrapped around her waist, she couldn't bear the thought of seeing him. She couldn't face this man anymore. There was no telling what new emotions he would bring out in her.

Her feet moved slowly in the direction of the stables. With every forward motion, came a thousand muddled thoughts, flooding through her mind. A thousand excuses for why she couldn't stay. A thousand reasons for why he shouldn't be there. A thousand scenarios for how badly this would all turn out.

She peered through the outside window, her lips curving into a smile of their own volition as she watched Luke glancing nervously at the horses, on the losing end of a staring contest.

Lorelai walked around to the front of the barn. The broad doors were half-open, so she entered quietly, but not unnoticed.

"Hey," Luke said, smiling.

"Hi." She took slow strides toward him.

"So, these are the horses," he needlessly stated.

She nodded. "Cletus and Desdemona. I see you've been acquainted."

"I'm not so sure they approve of me."

Leaning against the railing beside Luke she muttered, "Must be the plaid."

He chuckled, shifting a little closer to her. "I'll have to remember that for next time."

Her eyes grew wide. "Next time?" she asked in surprise. "I don't… I didn't think…"

"I was just kidding," Luke told her. "So, um, I'm gonna need a little instruction here." He gestured to the horses, still eyeing him curiously.

She couldn't help but smile. "Well, first we better get you a helmet. How about you grab the reins and the bridles while I'm doing that?" He nodded unsurely, looking nervously at the wall of supplies before selecting what he supposed were the proper pieces of equipment.

Lorelai glanced over at him, raising her eyebrows in approval. He smiled in return, clearly pleased with himself. Her eyes remained on his for a fraction too long; her heart started hammering in her chest. She took several deep breaths, trying to regain control of herself. The prospect of horseback riding with Luke had become exciting again. That's when she knew she needed to get out of there.

"I can't do this," she gasped.

Luke frowned. "Oh, is this the wrong equipment?"

"No, I can't do _this_," she said, gesturing between them. When Luke said nothing in return, she continued, "I thought you guys broke up."

"Huh?"

"You and Nicole."

He put down the equipment he was holding and turned to face her. "Who told you that?"

She mirrored his actions. "It doesn't matter. It's obviously not true!"

"Lorelai, calm down," he pleaded.

"No, I won't calm down! First you get married… on a frigging cruise ship, I might add. And then you say you're getting a divorce. But you don't get one. You try to make things work, you start _dating_ your wife! I won't even tell you how bizarre that is. I'm talking Ripley's brand of bizarre. So you play the marital role for a while… you buy a house, you _pretend_ to move in. And you have people convinced, Luke, you really do. They all start believing in the possibility of Luke table-for-two Danes. But here's the really sick and twisted part. I didn't believe it. I never wanted to believe it."

"Lorelai…"

"No, I refused to believe in your marriage, but as soon as the rumours started circulating, I couldn't wait to believe that you were getting a divorce."

"Please just listen to me for a second–"

"But you're not getting a divorce. You're still with… _her_. You're still with Nicole."

"Lorelai, I'm not–"

"How can you still be with her, Luke? How can you not know how I feel about you?!"

Silence filled the room the moment the words left her lips, and she instantly regretted them. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Luke, to gauge his reaction. She shook from the emotion she withheld, and cringed at the emotion she exposed. It was then that she finally felt the sting of the cool air that surrounded them. It was then that she realized whatever relationship she once held with this man, would never be the same again.

She closed her eyes when she saw his hand reaching for her, brushing her arm with the barest of touches. And that's when reason came into play. "I'm so sorry," she told him, her eyes still not meeting his. She started backing away, one small step at a time. "I'm so sorry," she said again, her voice quivering.

Luke stood frozen, a look of confusion and pure helplessness on his face. He wanted to tell her to stay. He wanted to scream at her for baffling the hell out of him, yet again. He wanted to hold her, and comfort her, and try to talk some kind of sense into her. But he didn't. He just watched her leave, and he had no idea how relieved she was that he'd allowed her that moment of solitude.

The moments after humiliation are moments better spent alone.

_**April 27, 2004…**_

Sookie and Michel resumed Lorelai's duties at the inn like clockwork. Sookie had explained to the Frenchman that he needed to step up to the plate, and for once, he'd complied without objection. Actually, he seemed all too pleased to be in high command. Sookie hadn't been able to unearth the entire story from Lorelai, but she knew things had taken a dramatic turn for the worse, and it pained her to see her friend in such a fragile state.

Around noon hour on Tuesday, Sookie stole herself away to grab a quick bite at Luke's. She expected to see a beaten down man, distressed and miserable… suffering. What she saw instead, was a man overcome with anger. The customers cowered in his presence. Plates were licked clean, despite the fact that the food on them was either undercooked, or charred beyond recognition.

When Luke finally noticed Sookie, a part of his resolve crumbled. She was the closest link he had to Lorelai. He could have blasted her like he had the rest of his patrons over the past few days, but he chose rather to confide in her. He leaned on the counter, she perched on her stool, and they talked. And somehow, by the end of their mostly whispered and all too brief conversation, he was a little surer of himself, and of his next move. He knew he couldn't live like this. He needed to act. It was just a matter of swallowing his pride.

TBC…


	15. Anything You Want

_A/N: Hey there, my fabulous and dedicated readers! If you thought this day would never come, I can't say that I blame you, but I never leave a story unfinished, that's one thing you can count on. This chapter would not have been possible without the incredible kindness of some dear friends. Thank you for the writing sessions, the word retrievals, and your constant encouragement and support. I dedicate this chapter to you. Please note the rating change. This is not for kiddies._

_**Filo**__, bless you for your time and effort. Your comments mean the world to me. I hope you don't die from the sappiness of this note. _

_And now, for the final curtain…_

_**April 28, 2004**_

Sookie was a wiser woman than most people gave her credit for. When she returned to the diner Wednesday morning and noticed Luke planted behind the counter, she saw right through his unaffected exterior. She knew instantly that he hadn't made a move since her little pep talk a day earlier. He was messing with the wrong woman now. Without a second thought, she barged into his territory, pinched him by the shoulders and propelled him behind the curtain and up the stairs.

Once they entered his apartment, Luke finally lost his cool. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he barked.

"Sit," Sookie demanded. The tone of her voice earned Luke's compliance.

"Where?" he asked, suddenly nervous.

"Chair, couch, table, floor… anywhere, just sit!"

He slumped into a chair at the kitchen table and sighed. "I have a diner to run."

"And that's apparently all you can think about," Sookie returned harshly. Her eyes travelled curiously around the room as she took a seat across from him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you clearly don't understand the concept of taking advice… and, God, would it kill you to add a splash of colour to this place? It's so depressing."

"Suits me just fine."

Sookie levelled her eyes with Luke and said seriously, "Listen, I'm not going to beat around the bush here." Luke braced himself for the Lorelai-centred lecture he was sure was about to spill forth. "This place is in major need of a makeover. Maybe a few reds and burnt oranges… Oh, a touch of chartreuse would do wonders for…"

"Sookie, I thought you dragged me up here to talk about Lorelai."

"Oh, yes, right. Let's talk about Lorelai," Sookie agreed. "Better yet, we could _walk_ and talk, you know, maybe hit up a _Home Depot_ along the way?" she said temptingly, wiggling her eyebrows for effect.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Sookie, I know you mean well, but I can handle things from here. And as much as I appreciate you taking the time to offer me decorating advice, I have a diner to run. Just thought I'd mention that," he added sarcastically.

"You have Caesar to do that. Caesar can handle things for a while."

Luke was done playing nice. He looked her hard in the eyes, reverting to his good old standby: intimidation. "You have two minutes to say what you need to say."

Sookie planted her palms on the table and stared right back at Luke, just as hard. Her expression softened as her mouth opened, and she said quietly, "Go to her Luke. Just go to her. I won't ask you again." With that, she pushed herself up to a standing position and walked with purpose to the door, her head held high, and her hands acting as blinders to shield her eyes from any further unpleasantness caused by the ambience.

Luke sat solemnly, his shoulders hunched over in defeat, as he listened to Sookie's fading footsteps.

_**April 29, 2004**_

Thursday marked the fifth day that Lorelai was absent from work. She was past the wallowing stage now, although, she wasn't entirely sure why she was wallowing in the first place. She'd exposed herself. She'd professed her love to a man. And not just any man, a married man. There was something so horrid about that, and yet, so completely liberating at the same time. All her cards had been laid on the table… heart-side up. The ball was in Luke's court, so to speak, and whatever he decided, she was going to be okay with it. She was going to deal. But he hadn't decided. Or maybe he had. Things were as cloudy now as they were five days earlier.

Sheʼd spent the morning cleaning out her kitchen cabinets. Her fridge was usually a stark wasteland, but her cupboards had always been bursting at the hinges, housing boxes upon boxes of processed food. When the afternoon hit, sheʼd curled up on the sofa and watched a three hour _Love Boat_ marathon. And when it was over, she had an even bigger love affair with Captain Stubing. The only other Captain that could give him a run for his money was the father of seven children. She smiled, mentally reciting each of their names and ages without a hitch.

Around four oʼclock she took a nice long bath, allowing the soft soap suds and soothing warm water to take her away to another place and time. Sheʼd dressed, eaten and painted her toe nails by the time the clock struck eight. With a cold bottle of beer in hand, she relaxed once more into the well-aged couch cushions and settled in for a night of _Cosmo_ quizzes.

At nine, the last of the condensation trickled down the outside of her empty bottle, and her eyes drifted shut.

There was a knock at the door. And then another, with more authority. Her eyes snapped open. She was breathing heavy, startled and curious.

One more knock was all it took for her to jump to her feet, push her hair from her forehead, straighten her clothes – her comfort clothes. God, she hoped it was Kirk at the door. Her socked feet padded across the floor, feeling every imperfection on the surface.

Her hand reached for the door knob; her eyes squinted as she twisted it open. The surprisingly cool night air bit at her skin, and she shivered.

"Luke," she breathed.

He stood before her in his green army jacket, looking pale, but with an undeniable edge of confidence. "Can I come in?" he asked softly.

She quickly nodded, stepping aside and allowing him entrance. He walked into the foyer and she closed the door behind him. There was a silence that followed, with his back to her, and her eyes focused intently on the floor.

"I think we need to talk," he said quietly, but she heard every word as though they were spoken from her own lips.

"I _know_ we do," she replied almost instantly. They both turned to face one another.

"I don't know what you think you know, Lorelai, but you don't know everything."

"I know more than you think I know." She moved past him and stood in the living room, arms crossed.

"And what exactly do you _think_ you know?" Luke asked pointedly.

"I know about the book."

He shrugged indifferently. "I figured as much."

Lorelai rolled her eyes, having lost her main source of ammunition. "I never took you for a self-help kind of guy."

"I bet you think it's pathetic, don't you?"

"Well, maybe a little."

"Isn't it more pathetic if you don't try?" Luke took a few steps forward, his voice elevating with irritation.

"I guess that all depends on _who_ you're trying _for_," she returned bitterly.

"You're unbelievable, you know that? One in a million, Lorelai. You're one in a million."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You pour your heart out at the drop of a hat, and you just expect me to fall in line, like some lovesick puppy dog, or something."

"Excuse me?"

"The book isn't for Nicole!" he shouted, taking a step towards her. She stepped back. "It's for you!"

Her jaw dropped open. They were both breathing hard, Luke from exertion, Lorelai from anticipation. "But… why?"

He sighed. "You avoided me; you pushed me away. I didn't know what else to do."

"So you went book shopping?" she asked, stunned. "You were married."

He shook his head. "You just thought what you wanted to think."

She groaned, annoyed by the circular movement of their conversation. "I didn't know! Ever heard of…oh, I don't know, communication? Spelling it out for me? Hiring a skywriter? I hear the _Goodyear Blimp_ is a bargain these days."

"_Me_ communicate?" Luke charged. "What about _you_? You avoided me for two weeks!"

"It was twelve days!" Lorelai corrected. "And I, uh, had a stroke. But don't you dare try to pin this all on me!"

Luke was silent as he allowed her words to register. After a minute, he lowered his head, and he did the unthinkable. He started laughing. Lorelai looked on in amazement, truly convinced that Luke had lost it. "Why are we fighting?" he finally asked, grinning at her in a way that made her lose her breath, and pray for a neighbouring suite in the loony bin.

She smiled. "Because we're so good at it." Her smile faded as he effortlessly closed the distance between them, his face still edged with amusement. "We're really good at fighting," she regurgitated, her eyes fluttering closed as he traced his knuckles down her cheek.

"What else are we really good at?" he whispered, dusting kisses in the same pattern his knuckles moved.

"Nothing… everything," she whimpered under the heat of his touches, struggling to form a coherent thought as his mouth hovered over hers.

He fused his lips to hers, kissing her senseless, pouring weeks – years – of frustration, doubt and yearning into the kiss. When he finally drew back, she clung to him, gasping for air.

"Luke, I…" He kissed her again, before she could utter another word. She moulded into his body, wrapping her arms around his neck. His tongue slid roughly against her lower lip, beckoning for entrance. She pulled away, her chest heaving, her lips curving into a smile.

"Cut it out, will ya?" she panted, determined to get a word in edgewise. He chuckled, pressing soft kisses against her neck. "We almost kissed… at m-my house… Samson," she whispered between his kisses to her neck, cheek, ear lobe.

"I remember," he mumbled against her skin.

"But you didn't even acknowledge –"

He leaned back and looked into her eyes. "I got a divorce."

"Because of the kiss?"

Luke nodded. "Because I _wanted_ to kiss you… for as long as I've known you."

She smoothed her hands down his stubble. "God, can I have that on a plaque or something? I think my knees just gave out."

He chuckled again. "You can have anything you want."

Lorelai smiled, her deep blue eyes sparkling. "I'm beginning to believe that's true."

This time when he kissed her, she let go completely, surrendering herself to him. His tongue pressed and surged against hers, and she moaned in response. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her tighter against him, and they both shivered at the close contact.

"So, you and Nicole…" she asked leadingly when they separated for a breath.

"The divorce has almost been finalized," Luke answered. "That's one of the perks of being married to a lawyer."

"Speedy divorce," Lorelai said, smiling. "I never much liked her."

He smirked. "Yeah, I kind of gathered that."

Lorelai kissed Luke possessively on the lips. "She wasn't your type." She kissed him again. "Her hair was too perfect." Another kiss. "She had lawyer breath."

Luke snorted. "Lawyer breath?"

"Yeah, you know, stale and… boring."

"Crazy lady," he muttered, kissing her hard. For the third time that night, they fell into a kiss that was clearly a prelude to something so much more. "I should go," Luke whispered against the soft skin at the corner of her mouth.

"No, no, you shouldn't," Lorelai said, patting his chest in appreciation. "_I_ should go."

Luke raised his head curiously. "Lorelai, you live here." She giggled as realization dawned.

"So I guess I'm staying. How about you?" she asked suggestively, entwining their hands. "Why don't you take off your coat and stay awhile?" She began working the zipper, sliding the material off his shoulders.

"Shouldn't we maybe, you know, go on a date first?" His jacket fell into a heap on the floor beside him.

"We did," Lorelai said, moving her nimble fingers to the buttons on his flannel shirt.

"Huh?"

"Dinner, Silvano's… about a month ago." She dropped his flannel shirt next to his jacket.

"That was a date?" he asked, incredulous.

Lorelai shrugged. "It might as well have been." She stepped away from him, her expression turning serious. "That was the night when everything changed. I stopped looking at you as a friend. And it wasn't because of the money, Luke. I just… everything kind of came to the surface, all at once. How unfailingly generous and supportive, and wonderful you are. It was there the whole time. I just didn't see it."

Luke smirked. "I seem to recall that I have about a thousand more of those dinners coming to me."

She rolled her eyes playfully, tugging lightly on his cotton t-shirt. "I have you in a very compromising position here, and all you can think about is food."

He laughed. "I just don't want us to do anything that we're not ready for."

"I'm ready, Luke," she said huskily. "I'm very, very ready."

"Then I guess I'm going to stay awhile."

------------

There was a clumsy trail of clothing leading to Lorelai's bedroom. Inside, Luke and Lorelai were huddled beneath the covers; he clad only in boxers, and she in mismatched lingerie. She skimmed her hands down his solid back and pressed firmly on his ass, meeting him halfway and grinding against him. They both moaned.

Luke pushed her hard into the mattress, rocking against her with a raw, aching need. They were both drunk from the sensations and the friction that was created by their movements. They were both hissing and moaning with enough volume to wake the dead, or at the very least send Morey and Babette into a tizzy.

Lorelai licked her dry, swollen lips and dug her nails into his back, begging for more. And he gave her more, rubbing his erection along the material of her panties until he was shaking from his withheld release. Luke slowed his movements, allowing them both a moment to fall from the peak of sexual bliss, their erratic breathing returning to a normal rhythm.

"That could have been a quick show," Lorelai said teasingly.

Luke chuckled, kissing her closed eyelids. "Just a preview," he whispered. With a devilish smirk, his head disappeared under the covers and he coasted down her body until he landed squarely between her legs, not even bothering to pause for a detour at her breasts.

She bit back a scream as his tongue darted out and flicked dangerously against her lace-covered folds. He traced his fingers along her hips and gently removed the restricting material, sliding it down her legs and dropping it at the foot of the bed. She relaxed her head against her pillow and awaited his assault, a giddy smile on her face. His smile reflected hers, as he lay poised above her slick opening, his hot breaths scorching her over-sensitized flesh. He remained unmoving for moments on end. Her face contorted into a dozen expressions as she writhed impatiently beneath him. Finally, with one brief kiss to her inner thigh, he plunged his tongue into her center, swirling and dipping into every crease, and every crevice. She gasped, gripping the sheets with her fists, spreading her legs wider, then drawing them in again in a fit of pleasure.

Luke bobbed his head up and down, gaining strength and momentum from every taste he stole from her. She pressed into him, she cried out his name, over and over and over again. When she climaxed, it took her several long minutes to recover, but he never relented. He was addicted to the taste of her, the feel of her juices, warm to his demanding tongue. He gorged on her for what seemed like an eternity, lapping at every ounce of moisture to be found. Lorelai climaxed a second time, unable control her spasms. She didn't give a damn. She was hypnotized by the comforter, rising and falling with her rapid breaths and Luke's jerking movements.

Reluctantly, his tongue slid from the tip of her sex, and finally began an upwards climb. Lorelai yanked her bra loose in her haste to clear the remaining obstacle in his way. He lifted his head, nudging the comforter back so he could see her face. They shared a look filled with amusement and unabashed lust. There was a giggle, and then a blistering kiss that melded teeth and tongues. Their mouths remained open, connected only by lips, as Luke's hands enclosed her breasts. She moaned, arching into him, her breaths fuelling his own. He teased and rolled her nipples between his fingers, his lower body grinding into her, driving her into another realm of arousal.

Lorelai bit his bottom lip hard, urging his mouth lower. He nipped at her chin, then the hollow of her throat, leaving a trail of Luke down to her breasts. She captured his head and held him tightly to her chest as he sucked her right nipple, tugging lightly at first, then with more urgency. Her breasts heaved with the pounding of her heart. He stayed glued to her, massaging her tender flesh with the palms of his hands. With one quick motion, he was suctioned to her left breast, lavishing it with the same attention. She gasped, tearing the covers away from them.

"Luke," she stressed.

He nodded, kissing each breast before raising his head up to meet hers. He nuzzled her softly as he toed off his boxers and positioned himself at her entrance. They kissed hungrily; eyes open as he penetrated her, sinking deeper and deeper. When he hit her innermost walls, they froze, mouths hanging open, eyes now closed. Her calves slowly wrapped around his waist, and with a light nudge of encouragement from her heel, Luke began to move.

They quickly settled into a pace that left nothing to the imagination. The hum of their breathing filled the room, along with the slick sound of sweat hitting sweat. She kissed his neck, his shoulders, biting, tasting the saltiness. Her heels ran up and down his spine, spurring him on, adding another level of friction and intimacy. His hands roamed all over her body. He wanted to feel every part of her, inside and out. She clung to him, her pace increasing as she neared orgasm. He watched her eyes cloud over in a fog, then pop with a piercing blue gaze that was almost blinding. This was the first time he'd been able to witness her reaction as he took her over the edge, and he was relishing in it.

Her walls tightened mercilessly around him, and he was lost. He rode the waves of pleasure with her, adding a few ripples of his own, and together, they sank into the mattress, kissing away the remnants of energy. They turned onto their sides, separating, but still touching, wearing worshipful smiles.

"Man, that was a really great show," Lorelai said in a throaty voice, walking her fingers through his chest hair. "Uh, actually, I heard there's a pretty good sequel, too." Her eyes looked to his, a hopeful smirk on her face.

Luke grinned. "You can count on it."

_**April 30, 2004**_

On Friday, Lorelai returned to work at the inn. She was late. Very, very late. Regardless, she received an incredibly warm reception from Sookie, _and_ Tom ('cause she was the lady with the money), Michel, not so much. He'd given up several appointments with the most gifted professionals, to take over her shifts at the desk, and he was none too pleased.

Lorelai apologized to every available ear, recognizing that her absence from work was during a pivotal time, and she would do her utmost to make it up to them. They still had a little over a week to prepare things for the test run. A list of guests had already been invited to experience the Dragonfly before it was open to the public. Luke's previously penciled in name, was now in permanent marker.

The day flew by in a rush, but as the afternoon hit, Lorelai stole herself away to the kitchen for a much needed gushing session.

Sookie beamed at the sight of Lorelai, dropping everything in her hands, including a knife, which somehow landed safely on the counter behind her. "I know something happened last night, and I want details, Missy!"

Lorelai chuckled. "Well, we're going to his sister's wedding this weekend. And then he's coming to the test run the following weekend…."

"Two more solid opportunities for sex," Sookie said, nodding.

"You assume we had sex last night?"

"You _didn't_ have sex?" Sookie challenged.

Lorelai smirked. "Yeah, okay, we had sex. And we plan on having sex again, tonight, and every damn night of the week. And day. A few morning quickies never hurt anyone."

"Oh my God, Oh my God!" Sookie squealed. "This is the best day of my life! Well, besides my wedding day… and giving birth to Davey… Oh, and the first time Jackson and I had sex…"

"Okay, Sook, I get the picture. It's a good day."

Michel stepped into the kitchen then, his nose wrinkling in distaste as he saw the two women hunched over in a fit of giggles.

"How do you feel about sex, Michel?" Sookie asked.

His face turned a deep shade of red. "You sicken me." He turned on his heel and stormed out.

"I think Michel is allergic to sex," Lorelai said in her best French accent.

"But it burns so many calories," Sookie returned with a less than stellar accent of her own.

Again, they giggled, the sounds of their amusement filling the inn. Gone was the nervous energy and fretful anticipation. In its place was certainty and genuine excitement.

_**May 8, 2004**_

Lorelai gazed at Luke, practically daring him to break eye contact as she stood over his table in the Dragonfly dining room. They'd been sharing these searing looks all night long.

His face broke into a smile as she lamentably backed away, her duties as host slightly edging out her desire to straddle him in front of every guest.

Before she got too far, he reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly in his own. "Congratulations," he whispered. "You did it."

She shook her head, amazed by the power he held over her, in his words, and in his touch. "Couldn't have done it without you," she whispered back. "My hero."

On her way back to the kitchen, she bumped into Sookie, and together they admired the crowd of friends and neighbours that decorated their inn.

They had worked incredibly hard to achieve their dream. There were trials and tribulations along the way, and they depended on the kindness of strangers and the generosity of true friends. They grew closer through the good times, and stronger through the bad times. They fought, they prayed, and they never looked back. This was their reward.

This was their bounty.

The End.

_Thank you all so much for your continued support. I hope you have enjoyed this journey as much as I have. And thank you to Rory for not suing due to character neglect. ;) Happy New Year!!_


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